#and like YEAH he's gotten a bit jaded and there are moments where he lost himself along the way. he's been ruthless and bloodthirsty and-

[bitch-for-bo]

Jealousy (Miya Atsumu x chubby reader)

POST TIME SKIP

Bokuto and his childhood best friend have gotten awfully close lately, a little too close for Atsumu's liking. He's mad about how much attention you give to Bokuto after a game, when you confront him about his attitude, things quickly get out of control.

ABSOLUTELY NO MINORS ALLOWED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Atsumu’d had enough. He’d been watching you shamelessly ogle over and compliment Bokuto for the last five minutes, and you’d failed to notice him or congratulate him once. All he’d gotten so far was a quick kiss along with a ‘good game’ before you’d ran over to Bokuto to hype the hitter up.

He didn’t care that you were just having a light good-natured conversation with your childhood friend. All he could focus on was the way that your bodies were unconsciously tilted towards each other or how Bokuto’s hands were lingering a little too much as he wrapped them around you for a hug.

It wasn’t just today either. All it had been with you for the last week at least, was how awesome and strong Bokuto was. Not to mention how built he was. God, you went to the gym with Bokuto once, and now you wouldn’t stop rambling about how surprisingly ripped the spiker was beneath his jersey.

All it was was,

“Oh my god, did you know that Bokuto can hip thrust almost 600 pounds! God! He could crush me with those thighs!”

Or

“We were goofing off and Bokuto actually picked me up and squatted me!”

All of these things were said in front of the whole MSMBY team, causing Bokuto to puff up with pride, Hinata to marvel at his awesomeness, Sakusa not to care, and Atsumu to go off and seeth to himself.

Of course, you didn’t know the effect that you had on Atsumu. You couldn’t tell that every time you playfully flirted with Bokuto, telling him how handsome and strong he was, that Atsumu was filled with the urge to rip you away and fuck you right in front of the whole team, letting them know just who you belonged to.

You didn’t know this because, while Atsumu was incredible at communicating with his teammates, he was shit at expressing his feelings when it came to you. This led to him bottling up all of his feelings until they became too much for him. At which time he would go and rant to a very jaded and very annoyed Kiyoomi.

“Yeah, but did you see that one hit in the second set Y/N! Wasn’t it awesome!” Bokuto asked excitedly, bouncing back and forth on the pads of his feet as the two of you had a very animated conversation about the game he just played.

“Of course I did Bo! It was so cool!” You exclaimed back, matching his exuberant energy with your own.

You were incredibly proud of your childhood best friend, and you were super thankful that he just happened to be on the same team as your boyfriend. It made it to where you were always able to cheer both of them on without them being on opposite sides of the court. In your eyes, it was a win-win.

“Yeah well, maybe it was ‘cause someone gave you an awesome set,” Atsumu grumbled just loud enough for you and Bokuto to hear as he stood a couple of feet away from you with his arms crossed and a childish scowl on his face.

“Oh, don’t be like that Tsumu. Bo’s spike was fantastic!” You lightly scolded the blonde to which he just made a ‘hmph’ sound before turning and sulking away.

You had no clue why Tsumu got like this when you congratulated Bokuto. It wasn’t like you didn’t congratulate him as well. You always made sure that the blonde was the first and the last to receive cheers from you. So you had no idea why he was being so fussy lately.

As Atsumu walked away Bokuto could practically see the waves of anger radiating off of his back, and he guiltily ignored them. He knew why Atsumu acted like that when Y/N congratulated his spikes. He knew why Atsumu hated the idea of his girlfriend going to the gym and hanging out with one of his teammates.

He knew that the way that he interacted with Y/N made Atsumu angry, but he ashamedly did it regardless.

He couldn’t help it. The two of you had been so close as children, you grew up together, he knew everything about you. He knew your favorite color, all of your fears, your dreams, and when the two of you had decided to attend different high schools and got out of touch it had really hurt him.

That was why he was so happy when he joined the Jackals, that you just happened to be the girlfriend of one of his new teammates. Over the last couple of months, the two of you had re-ignited your old friendship and things were just like old times.

Well, they were just like old times until Bokuto realized that you weren’t the kid he used to know. Your personality was fundamentally the same, but drastically different at the same time.

He remembered back in primary school just how shy and insecure of a girl you were. He remembered defending you against the people who would bully you for your size, and comforting you when you cried about the mean things they would say.

Bokuto had always despised those people that had made you hate yourself. So every chance he got he would try to cheer you up and let you know just how great you really were.

Over the years, that insecure part of you really changed. It changed so much that at first Bokuto wasn’t sure if it was really you. No longer did you walk with your gaze on the floor, covering your body with too-baggy clothing. No longer did you apologize unnecessarily or hold your tongue in conversations.

The moment that he’d seen you with Atsumu, he was completely taken back. You had been wearing a corset top and jeans that perfectly hugged your plush frame as well as a pair of black heels.

You had always been afraid of showing your body like that in the past. You didn’t like the way that your stomach wasn’t flat or the way that your thighs rubbed together and shook when you walked. He’d also never seen you in a pair of heels before, you were always afraid of being taller than the guys seeing as you were already pretty tall without heels on.

Much to Bokuto’s surprise and delight, you finally seemed comfortable in your body, confident even. And for good reason too because, in Bokuto’s opinion, your body had developed into one of the best bodies he’d ever seen. He would discreetly stare at you when you were with the team, his eyes fixating on the way that you jiggled and bounced every time you moved. He couldn’t help but develop a bit of jealousy towards Atsumu. After all, you were the blonde’s and not his, and sometimes, he would let his mind stray and wonder if he’d be in Atsumu’s place if the two of you had never lost touch.

“Anyways,” you said, pulling Bokuto out of his small daydream, “Are you guys gonna go out and celebrate tonight?”

You made sure to ask loud enough to where all of the Jackal’s heard. The players you didn’t speak to much just ignored you, including the captain who muttered something about being way too beat to go clubbing.

Hinata said he was going to go and hang out with Kageyama.

Sakusa said he wanted to go shower and rest.

And Atsumu was still fuming to himself, refusing to acknowledge your question.

“Hmm, I guess not,” Bokuto said, his hair slightly deflating. He was thinking about how it would be fun to go out when his body suddenly reminded him of the hard game that he just played. “To tell the truth Y/N, I’m pretty exhausted. I think I’ll follow Kiyoomi’s lead and just rest up.”

You frowned, yet nodded in understanding. They just played a really strenuous match so you couldn’t blame any of them for not feeling up to going out.

“I get it, make sure you all recover well!” you offered, your bright signature smile coming across your face and managing to increase the atmosphere’s energy a bit.

Bokuto waved as he and Hinata left the gym to head back to the hotel they were staying at for the night, each of them recapping their best plays of the night like feuding children.

You waved back before turning to your boyfriend, your frown returning when you saw that he was still sulking.

Atsumu didn’t even acknowledge you as he walked right past you and stomped out of the gym. Your frown only deepened at your boyfriend’s behavior, was he really opposed to you congratulating his teammates?

“Hey!” you called after Atsumu, trying to jog to catch up to him. “Hey!” you restated, you could tell that he was taking a little longer strides than usual, knowing that your chubby legs wouldn’t be able to keep up unless you shifted from a walk to a jog.

After he still didn’t reply, you decided to hold your tongue until you got to his hotel room, you didn’t want everyone in the building hearing your relationship squabbles and you definitely didn’t want to attract the attention of any paparazzi.

The walk to the hotel was dead silent. Atsumu was making no attempt to talk to you, and you decided that if he didn’t want to talk to you, you didn’t want to talk to him. And even if you did want to talk to him, you’d have to jog as you did it seeing as the asshole was still walking just fast enough to stay two or three strides ahead of you.

Once you made it to the hotel and after a very awkward elevator ride, the two of you arrived at the door to his room. He turned to look at you.

“You’re not planning on staying are you?” He asked coldly, looking down his nose at you as your mouth popped open in surprise.

While Atsumu was normally a great boyfriend, he really knew exactly what to say to hurt you. After a couple of months of dating, you had opened up to him about your past traumas and admitted to him that you used to only feel like a nuisance to people. He’d assured you that you were never a nuisance to him, that he could never grow tired of you. And him saying that made you feel a little bit better about that particular insecurity. So when he said that, your heart dropped.

“Oh,” you said quietly.

As soon as your gaze dropped to the floor, Atsumu knew that he’d really fucked up and guilt automatically began eating at his stomach. He felt incredibly bad and yet his mouth wouldn’t open to apologize.

“ok,” you continued, you could feel yourself wanting to cry but stopped yourself in fear of your tears only fueling Atsumu’s annoyance with you.

No one liked a clingy crybaby, you told yourself as you bit your lip to hold back the emotions.

“I guess I’ll just go back home, maybe I’ll see if Bo wants to go get some food,” you mumbled, turning to leave the setter.

“Of fucking course…” you heard Atsumu muttered under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear.

You turned back around, slightly angry at Atsumu’s attitude. You had tried to be sensible and walk away, giving him space, but if the asshole wanted to talk under his breath at you, you had every right to get angry. If he thought something was wrong he needed to man up and let it out.

“What’d you say?” You asked, your hands starting to fist at your sides.

“You heard me.” Atsumu sneered back, crossing his arms across his chest but not retreating into his hotel room. If anything the actions only caused your frustration to grow. Why the fuck was he being like this? He’s acting like a literal child.

You took a few quick steps towards the blonde, jabbing your finger into his chest as you glared up at him.

“Listen,” you hissed, “I have no fucking clue why you’re acting like this, but it’s not cute and it’s hurting my feelings. I’m not a mind-reader, if you have something bothering you, you have to tell me.”

“What?” Atsumu growled. He couldn’t believe that you really didn’t know what was bothering him. There was no way someone could be that fucking naive.

“You heard me.” you snipped back, your arms coming up to cross your body in a stance mirroring his.

Before you could tell what was happening, Atusmu had grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you inside of his room, the door slamming behind the two of you as he automatically trapped your body against it.

While you were still stunned by the extreme progression of events, Atsumu had unlooped your belt and fastened it around your wrists, securing them firmly behind your back.

“Hey! What the fuck Atsumu!” You seethed, your arms straining against the leather as the position forced your chest out against Atsumu’s.

“You really wanna know what’s bothering me?” he asked, the anger visible on his face.

“Yes!” You exclaimed in frustration, “that’s what I’ve been wanting to know for the last 15 goddamn minutes!”

As soon as you’d finished your sentence, Atsumu’s face got eerily calm. Instead of the scowl that’d been on his face a second ago, there was his usual smirk. A chill ran down your spine.

His hands left their place on your confined wrists to tightly grip your hips, almost hard enough to leave bruises.

“What a dirty mouth for such a pretty little thing.” He drawled, leaning closer to you until you could almost taste the sweat that had dried onto his temples.

“What ar-”

“ Shhh …” he cut you off, one hand coming up to press a finger against your mouth before going back down and curling lightly around your throat. “You wanna know what’s bothering me, Princess?”

His lips were against your jaw, his teeth scraping against the skin as he mumbled.

“Maybe…..” he continued, the hand that was on your hip tracing across your stomach until it came to the button of your jeans. He popped them open, eliciting another protest from you which he silenced with a slightly harder squeeze to your throat.

Your body was betraying you with every touch he left against your skin. You really didn’t want to give him the reactions that he so clearly craved, but you just couldn’t help the way your body responded to him.

“Maybe it’s because you dress like such a little slut at my games…. Are you trying to distract me, Princess?” He asked, his teeth disconnecting from your jaw as he pulled your jeans down and off of your body before reconnecting even rougher than before.

All you’d been wearing to the match was a pair of high waisted denims along with a simple black cropped tank top, you’d have worn one of Atsumu’s jerseys but they were all dirty at the moment. It was a simple outfit, it wasn’t anything to get pissed over, definitely not this pissed.

“No” you mumbled, still not wanting to let Atsumu know that his touch was affecting you as much as it was.

“Or were you trying to distract other guys, Princess? Were ya trying to show off yer pretty body to them like a little whore?”

Atsumu had worked your jeans completely off and was hooking his fingers around the band of your panties, obviously planning to tear them off of you as well.

Atsumu had never called you such mean things before and part of you hated the idea of him trying to tear your confidence down with the terms, but at the same time, there was no denying the terrible effect it was having on your body. You felt yourself getting wetter and wetter at the condescending words of your boyfriend and your resolve was quickly dissipating into the want to obey and submit to him with every fiber of your being.

“N-No!” you stuttered as you squealed at the feeling of Atusumu practically ripping your panties off of your body.

“ Liar.” he spat before taking your soaked panties and stuffing them into your mouth, effectively shutting you up as you moaned around the cloth at the lewd actions.

“You wanted all those guys to stare at yer ass didn’t you?” he asked, punctuating the question with a sharp slap to your ass, making you cry out and fall against his chest as he pulled you into him, one hand gripping your throat still as the other began to roam your plush silhouette.

“Or did you want them looking at your pretty tits?” he continued, taking your tank top between his fingers and pulling it down to expose your heaving chest, discovering that you’d been wearing one of those tops with a built-in bra.

“ A-aa ” you tried to moan out his name around the gag as his graceful setter fingers began to play with your already hard nipples.

“No bra? You really are my little slut aren’t ya? ” One of his hands continued to play with your breasts as the other slowly dragged down your waist, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

You keened against his body as his middle finger roughly slipped across your slit, drawing delicious circles around your clit. The fight in you was almost completely gone. You hadn’t forgiven your asshole boyfriend, it just felt so good to have him pressed up against you like this, touching you, controlling you.

“ Shit... “ he grunted, his finger sliding easily against you due to how incredibly wet you were for him.

His cock was straining against his shorts, but he knew that he didn’t want to give you his cock just yet, he needed to punish you first for how you’d been acting. Acting so naughty, such a little tease. You deserved to be taught a lesson.

“Does watching me play make you horny Princess, do you stand there and imagine getting to sit on my cock?” He asked, his fingers playing with your pussy as he started to walk you into the bathroom, his fingers never leaving your cunt.

“Mhmm.” You moaned in compliance.

Your body was hot with the need for his cock inside of you as the memory of the game played in your head. The way that he moved on the court never failed to soak your panties as you stood and cheered him on in the audience. Every single game you would watch his serves, just thinking about how he was just as powerful off the court as he was on. You couldn’t help but get wet just thinking about the possibility of fucking him after the game.

You thought that, with how Atsumu was acting, you weren’t going to get any victory dick today, turns out that you were obviously wrong. Not only were you getting dick, you were getting it like you’d never gotten it before. You could still feel the anger seeping out of Atsumu as his cruel fingers continued to torture you.

“Well, only good girls get their pussies stuffed.” he breathed against your neck, a pitiful whine leaving your lips as he slowly pushed a finger into your pussy.

“ Are you gonna be a good girl for me? ” He asked, mentally groaning at the way your soft walls clenched around the thick digit.

With the way that your tight wet cunt fluttered around his fingers, he almost forgot why he was mad. It was incredible the way that you could make him forget things like that, the way that you had him wrapped around your cute stubby fingers.

“Mhm!” you nodded frantically. Your hands were still bound and your mouth still gagged, so all you could do to convey your desperate message was moan and rub yourself against Atsumu like a bitch in heat, your hips pathetically trying to fuck yourself down onto his finger.

“What’s that?” he snickered, a second finger pressing into your cunt as the first found your g-spot, stroking up into the spongy texture without mercy.

You cried out, you could feel yourself starting to lose it. Usually, you could last much longer than this, but something about the way that Atsumu was manhandling you this time, made it so much harder to keep cool.

It felt like the setter had taken over all of your senses as he continued to finger fuck you into the wall of the bathroom. One hand was fucking your pussy and massaging your clit while the other was kneading your tits, pinching your nipples. At the same time, his mouth was latched onto your neck, sucking deep bruises into the skin, branding you for his whole team to see.

“That’s right Princess..” he groaned, he could feel you clenching harder around his fingers and he knew that you were getting close. “Imma mark you up so good everyone’s gonna know who you belong to.”

You knew that Atsumu was the jealous, possessive type, but nothing could’ve prepared you for just how extreme the problem was. You still didn’t know what sparked this little tantrum and you had the feeling that you wouldn't be able to pull the reason out of the setter until you let him have his way. Hopefully, you’d be able to walk after.

You could feel your end rising, the familiar feeling of a rubber band in your lower belly getting ready to snap. You threw your head back against the wall, trying to keep yourself from crying with the delicious pressure building up inside of you.

Atsumu must’ve known you were close, he used his free hand to help you rotate your arms over your head, twisting the belt around to allow the movement but not to allow you freedom.

“Hold your cunt open for me baby,” he demanded, guiding your hand down to your pussy and directing your arms to press against your stomach and your fingers to hold yourself open to where he could see his fingers fucking into you.

You were a mess, moaning and drooling around the gag as Atsumu’s gaze focused on the way that you continued to suck him back in with every pump of his wrist. He spat on his other hand before giving your clit a light spank, making you jerk against his hold, all of the air completely leaving your lungs as you clenched around his fingers.

“ Yeah …” he growled, his palm beginning to rub against your clit, the quick wet movements making you start crying with pleasure.

“W-nmnmwn” you begged around the gag, trying to warm Atsumu that you were about to cum. He liked it when you asked permission, so you always did and now your body was conditioned to where you almost couldn’t cum without him saying you could.

“What was that Princess?” he asked smugly, he knew exactly what you were trying to say. He knew that while you were acting like a little whore towards Bokuto lately, he was the one that owned your body, he knew that his baby wouldn’t disobey him and cum without permission.

You continued to beg around the gag, your hips and legs burning with the exertion of searching for your high against his hand. You were getting desperate. You looked up at your boyfriend.

Atsumu almost came at the sight of you looking up at him.

You looked so pretty for him, drool on your chin, tears in your eyes, he swore that before he was done with you, those tears would be running down your face, that he would make you cry and beg for his cock, make you admit that only he could fuck you this good. Not Bokuto, not anyone, just him.

“Do you wanna cum for me, Princess?” He asked.

You nodded.

“Okay then… cum for me Princess …” he demanded, leaning in, pulling down your gag, and taking your lips in a punishing kiss.

You cried out into his mouth, your orgasm finally washing over your body, causing it to spasm and jerk in Atsumu’s grip as he held you to his body, his fingers brutally fucking you through your high.

As soon as you’d stopped shaking, Atsumu slipped his fingers out of you and flipped you around, pressing his cock against your ass as your front was pressed into the bathroom counter. You rested your head down against the mirror, your eyes closing as your body still reeled from your orgasm.

You needed a little breather, but that wasn’t in Atsumu’s plan. His hand came down across your ass, making you squeak and lurch forward, your tits pressing down against the counter and your ass popping up into the air.

“Now come on Princess,” he drawled, pulling his cock out of his pants and thrusting it into you without warning, ripping a cry from your chest, “yer not tired yet are ya? We’re just getting started!”

“Nooo please ‘Tsumu...” you gasped, pushing yourself further into the counter, trying and failing to evade his touch.

His cock was hot and heavy inside of your still spasming pussy. You could feel every vein in him as you continued to pulse around him, he almost felt like his dick was suffocating in your soft puffy walls.

Atsumu groaned as he started to slowly fuck into you. He knew that if he started out going as fast as he’d like to, he’d be finished way too soon for his liking so he decided to slow his hips, his cock languidly dragging against your warm insides.

Atsumu couldn’t help these feelings of jealousy. After all, Bokuto was bigger and stronger than him. Deep down, he knew that the reason he was so bitter about you and the hitter’s friendship was that he was afraid of you leaving him for the owl-like spiker.

That’s why Atsumu chose to fuck you in the bathroom. He knew that the wall in the bathroom was the closest wall to Bokuto’s room. He knew that if he fucked you hard enough, he could make you scream his name loud enough to where his teammate would hear you. Then Bokuto would know just who you wanted stuffing your pretty little pussy.

“Come on Princess.” he teased, his hips grinding against your ass with a particularly hard thrust that had your mouth popping open and your lungs gasping for air.

“ You know you love this cock ……” he grunted when your pussy flared around him, clenching against his cock at the words, he grinned, he never knew that you liked getting fucked like a little slut, but now that he knew he swore that he’d never be able to return to fucking you like he had before. Not with the way that you were leaking for him as his degrading words cut through you like a hot knife.

You’d already adjusted to having him inside of you, the heat of him inside of you only being soothed by the cool countertop against your tits. You moaned with every thrust, you could already feel your mind beginning to fog over as Atsumu thrust behind you, plotting to fuck you dumb.

He suddenly stilled his hips, making you whine, trying to push yourself back onto him.

“‘Tsumu…” you whined, your eyes meeting his in the bathroom mirror, “move…”

He smirked, clicking his tongue at his messed up little baby.

“Tell me how much you love my cock, Princess.” He said, taking his dick completely out of you to rub it against your pussy lips, “tell me how much you love it and maybe I’ll fuck you again.”

Your face burned with humiliation. Atsumu had never acted this way before. Sure he was an asshole, but never this much of an asshole. That being said, there was no denying the impact that this side of Tsumu had on your body. You felt like you’d been enveloped in fire, every part of it burning up with need.

“ Please ‘Tsumu… .” you begged, “ I love your big cock so much….please fuck me …”

Atsumu groaned, his dick twitching against your slit. He loved hearing you like this, your voice broken as you begged for him to fill you. He could see the tears beginning to fall down your cheeks. So pretty.

“Since you asked so nicely Princess-” he cooed before harshly pumping his cock back into you, starting to fuck into you at a pace that had you crying and bucking back against him.

“Fuck!” you cried, “ Fuck- Tsumu…. Harder…. Fuck me harder ” you begged, you let your forehead fall forward against the mirror, your eyes drifting close.

“Shit” Tsumu growled through gritted teeth, you were so tight around him. He looked up to see your eyes closed.

‘Now that won’t do..’ he thought before threading a hand through your hair and pulling your head back off of the mirror, making a moan spill from your mouth and your eyes spring open.

“Come on Princess,” he panted, “ I wanna see your pretty tears while I fuck you. ”

***************

This was Atsumu’s favorite way to fuck you until you were crying and shaking around his cock. You looked so pretty with that dumb little look on your face, your eyes and lips puffy as you begged him to make you cum, telling him that all of it was too much for your poor little pussy.

He knew that you were reaching your limits, your pussy was fucked raw after 4 orgasms. You weren’t even able to form full sentences anymore, the only words coming out of your mouth were ‘more’ and ‘please’ along with all of your pretty pathetic little cries.

“‘Tsumu….” you cried, you could feel your fifth orgasm coming up inside of you. You didn’t know how much longer you could do this. Your clit was almost numb with how abused it’d been. Your nipples and tits were sore, and while you couldn’t see it, you knew that your whole body would be covered in bruises and marks tomorrow.

“ Please….hurts… ”

“Come on Princess….” he murmured as his fingers came down against your clit, “ just one more…”

You just whined in response, your hips jerking slowly against his pace. Your body was almost finished, but you knew that you had to give him just one more...one more and he’d finally let you rest.

“.... ..gonna….. gonna …” you panted.

Atsumu grinned down at you, your body was wrecked, your head was lolled to the side with your tongue hanging out as he fucked you hard enough for your tits and stomach to bounce with each thrust.

God, you looked so perfect for him. The way that your curves pressed against his body, the way that your pussy squelched with each thrust due to all of his cum that he’d dumped inside of you, all of it- all of you, was perfect… you were fucking built just for him.

“Me too baby…” he moaned, tossing his head back as he felt his third and probably finally orgasm approaching.

His fingers started playing with your puffy clit even faster making you choke on your tears, a new feeling entirely rising up.

You’d never felt this before, a look of horror suddenly came over your face as you began to feel like you were gonna piss.

“no… ’Tsumu!” you cried out, his pace not stopping at all as he began to feel your walls growing stiff.

He’d read about this before on the internet, seen it in porn, but never did he think that he’d actually be blessed enough to witness it.

“Fuck…” he moaned, his voice breaking as he sped up against your pussy.

“No… ” you gripped his forearms in fear, if you accidentally pissed on your boyfriend, you’d be left with no choice but to break up with him out of pure humiliation.

“ Please stop ‘Tsumu…’m gonna make a mess .”

He groaned at the fat tears rolling down your face. He knew what you were thinking, you’d probably never squirted for anyone before, you were probably surprised and scared. He knew he should reaffirm you, tell you it was okay. But he couldn't help but love the panic mixed with pleasure on your face as you begged him to stop.

“Come on Princess.” he panted, “ come on ….”

His hips were snapping into your at an inhuman speed now, each time his cock head bumped up against your g-spot.

“ You can do it Princess …” he promised, his fingers urging you to let you.

You shook your head, the tears of embarrassment running down your chin as you desperately tried to keep it in. You cried out, you could feel yourself starting to slip.

“ No- Fuck! ‘Tsumu!” you screamed, your body starting to convulse as liquid gushed out of your pussy, soaking Atsumu’s cock as he cummed into you, his eyes almost going crossed as you squirted all over his hips, the clear liquid running down his balls and dripping onto the bathroom floor.

“Fuck….yeah… squirt for me Babe. .” he groaned, riding out his high as you cried and gasped out his name.

He finally slowed his hips, your body completely limp with humiliation beneath him.

“Such a good girl….” he soothed, pushing the sweat-soaked hair out of your face as you continued to bawl.

“ ‘M sorry ‘Tsumu… ” you sobbed, still thinking you pissed all over your boyfriend’s cock.

“Don’t be sorry Princess, you did so good…you squirted so good for me Baby..you made such a good mess for me.”

For some reason, at Atsumu’s soft words, you began to cry even harder. Even as he assured you that you didn’t piss on him, you couldn’t help the tears of exhaustion that kept spilling over your cheeks.

“Are you okay baby?” he asked, guilt eating at his stomach as your crying didn’t cease.

Did he go too hard? Was it too much? Fuck! He couldn’t lose you, what if you didn’t like it? What if you left him?”

“F-felt so good ‘Tsumu….” you cried, finally returning his embrace as you wiped your tears against his defined chest, your soft body squishing against his athletic one as the hand rubbing your back stilled.

“Why are you crying then baby?” he asked gently, his fingers hooking under your chin as you sniffled.

“I dunno…” you whimpered, your eyes glossily staring back up at your boyfriend. Your body was completely blissed out, you could nothing but cry.

“Ok Baby… let’s get you cleaned up,” Atsumu whispered, gently lifting you off of the counter and guiding you to the shower so he could clean you up.

As he washed your plush body, he couldn’t help but admire his work. Every part of you looked absolutely fucked out and he quickly decided that he would die for you as you yawned, leaning yourself against him.

He kept whispering to you about how good you felt, how good you were for him, how he didn’t deserve you. Your body glowed with the soft compliments, a complete opposite of how he’d acted as he fucked you past over-stimulation.

After he finished washing you, he kissed you deeply, his strong arms wrapping around your body.

“Can you walk Baby?” he asked, softly wrapping a fluffy towel around your naked body.

You shook your head, sticking your bottom lip out in a pout.

“That’s okay..” he chuckled, his thumb running over your cheeks as he stared at you lovingly. “I’ll carry you wherever you want to go okay?”

You nodded, willing yourself not to start crying again at his soft words. You wrapped your arms around his neck, jumping a little to help him hoist you as you wrapped your legs around his waist.

He walked you into the room, resting you in the bed and pulling the comforter up around you before snuggling into the other side, his body automatically coming up to spoon yours.

“I love you, Princess,” he whispered adoringly, his fingers brushing against your bruised skin.

“Mmmm…love you too..” you hummed, your body so exhausted that you quickly started snoring, making Atsumu grin.

He thought about how lucky he was to have you. He could safely say that he was completely satisfied with how loud you’d been for him, with how nicely you’d let him claim you.

*************

“Fuck…” Bokuto whispered, his back was still pressed against the shower wall. His hand was still wrapped around his softening cock as he stared at the cum washing down the drain.

All he’d wanted to do was grab a quick shower. He never expected what had happened.

His eyes closed as he willed himself not to get hard again as he recalled how your moans sounded through the wall as you cried for Atsumu’s cock.

He felt ashamed for the reaction he’d had to it. Felt ashamed of how hard his cock had gotten. Most of all, he was ashamed that he’d stood there and fucked his fist to the sound of you screaming for your boyfriend.

He sighed, getting out of the shower and toweling off, trying desperately to push the memories of those noises out of his head.

Suddenly his phone buzzed.

‘Hope you liked the show ;)’ - Miya Atsumu

He scowled down at his phone before throwing it back onto the floor. He flopped down into his bed.

He could still hear your voice,

‘Fuck ‘Tsumu! M cumming!.....fuuucckk….’

Yep. He was going to be hard for the next year.

How was he ever going to look you in the face again?

[itstheimpossibledream]

It’s Only A Play -Part 3

Word Count:3244

Pairing : AU Henry Cavill x FemBlack!Reader

Summary: We love a good slow burn. SMUT

The bag crackled in his large hands. You found yourself wondering why he even bothered delicately tearing the wrapping, when he could easily smash both the wrapper and cookie open in one fist. The fortune seemed so small in his hands.He held the paper back a bit further than you would have expected and you realized he was probably one of those people who needed glasses but refused to get them.He cleared his throat again."It says 'The art of living is taking the biggest chance.'"

"In bed." you said quickly

"What?!" his eyebrows flew up in shock but,he laughed to keep from appearing to hopeful.

"It's an American thing. You read a fortune cookie and at the end you add in bed. It makes every fortune cookie funnier, I promise."you said not breaking eye contact. He threw his head back and laughed even harder. It was a childish trick but, something about it tickled him so much he hardly noticed when his hat fell off of his head and onto Kal who had been peacefully sleeping in the slice of floor behind Henry's chair. His baritone chuckles echo through the apartment and you’re amazed that neighbors didn't even cross his mind as a concern in this place.Realistically he probably wasn’t even home enough to get a noise complaint. His laughing had lessened and you could feel him watching you. You knew people who had embarrassingly nice apartments but, nothing like this. This was just lavishly ridiculous.

"It gets lonely being here alone." He said evenly,reading your mind. "Family doesn't visit much and keeping friends with a schedule like mine is just..."

"Not easy ." you finished for him.You could feel his eyes boring into you carving out a space in your heart for him and you try to will yourself to stop. You both sat comfortable on the silence for a while, momentarily mutually mourning the lifestyle you lost to live your dream.

"Okay read yours!" Henry gestured to you cookie. You smashed it to bits,gingerly pulling out the paper fortune. You sat up tall clearing your throat trying to figure out if this fortune would be equally funny or if your childish trick had run it's course.

"You Are very talented in many ways in bed." You say bursting out laughing as he doubled over again.

"Come on! How come I couldn't have gotten that one" he jokes shrugging his shoulders.

" Just wasn't your fortune."you tease winking at him and getting up from the table.Okay so you were flirting with him,definitely flirting with him. But a highschool showmance was so unlike you. You knew the golden rule was to never go for your co-stars and yet here you were winking and shit. Maybe he'd ignore it , he really knew nothing about you outside of your work.

"So what made you like this story? When you got the script when did know you had to do it ?" He had moved from the table, his eyes shown brightly as he recovered his hat from the floor on his way. At the end of dinner you assumed it would be normal to grab your jacket and go back to your room.It's not like he had really planned for you to be over, and you weren't even friends so staying up this late with him to gossip wasn’t exactly in the cards. You had already learned so much more about him than you had expected to. He expertly moved to the kitchen,uncorked a bottle of wine he had chilling in the refrigerator and returned to the couch handing one of the glasses to you. So, now you were staying, I mean it’d be rude to turn down wine.

"Uhhhhh- well I think the relationship is relatable, it's real. It's not about these two perfect people but, it's about this perfect love they have... ya know?" You whirl yourself onto the seat on the couch next to him."To imagine what they were going through as a couple I mean- it must have made everything harder, these characters are from completely different worlds and they still choose each other in their own way. " He nods next to you , this was new. Geeking out with him about work wasn't what you expected but, you were actually enjoying it.

"So let me ask you something?"he pushes leaning in , He wrings his hands together and you’re distracted by the veiny passageways that mark down from his forearms."When do you think it would actually be necessary for them to have a sex scene?"he asks timidly.

"Right!" you exclaim! "I love Stephen but the way he directs it makes it feel so clunky !"you emphasize with your hands and he chuckles saying "Okay I'm so glad you noticed it too- like who has sex like this robots?"

"You know his partners have to be weird." you laugh , noticing how pointy his canines are. God, he looks like one of those twilight vampires, his stupid skin probably did shine in actual sunlight Not that New York would get any though,you acknowledge while making a mental note , not to drink to much of the wine that was clearly causing you to get distracted. You finish your glass and set it on the coffee table.

"Yeah I don't know i just think it's an unconventional love story and we need more of those." you smile , sheepishly meeting his eyes , going back to the topic of the show. His lower lip juts up as he nods,in agreement.

"Soooooo what's next?"you pop up, moving to his kitchen opening random cabinets, trying to find his liquor stash. You come across the empty bottle, of what must have been the wine you just drank and turn to him in the living room with a fake pout. It wasn’t that you were bored, or even that you didn’t want to spend time with him sober ;as much as it was that you desperately needed to cling to the idea that he wasn’t a good man for you.

"O. you can smoke out on the terrace if you want, and I don't have any more drinks here but,I can call down to the frontdesk to run and get you something.” Your eyes rolled so hard they almost fell out of your head.

"Of Course you have a front desk."you chortled to yourself.

"Hey, this is the flat the show is paying to keep me in not my own." he pointed at you in mock sternness

"No I'm okay. I don't smoke and drink all the time " you chided at him,he probably didn't really think that. He was just trying to drum up some conversation.

"and here I thought you were a real New Yorker." he jokes breaking into a toothy grin.

" I'm from a very small town-" you divulged with a sigh"definitely not New York.”

"Yeah- there's not many people from where I grew up around here either." he said plainly , moving to take off his rehearsal sneakers, for what was probably the first time since you had gotten to his place.

"You miss it a lot huh?" you ask

"I mean I go back often but, it's just much nicer to not have camera's up your ass all the time."he huffs, moving to the second set of laces.

"Ahh that good old Hollywood fame." you joke, with a sigh. He just smiles at you, beaming embarrassingly knowing he can never seem to say the right thing around you. For some reason busting his balls was somehow so much better than admitting to a feeling that you were becoming increasingly aware of,you wanted him.

"I'm not like a smoker smoker" you say, slicing through the silence "I picked it up from my ex and it just kinda stuck." you admit with a flippant gesture of your hand." But, only when I'm nervous or something."you felt the need to clarify.

"And why would you be nervous?"He smirked, pushing his shoes under the decoratively simplistic coffee table across from him and sliding down the front of the couch to sit on the floor. His thighs seemed abnormally large as he spread his legs out and started stretching. This time it was your turn to look away from him.You peeled your eyes,just as quick as he had before your shower. The confidence that radiated from him was absolutely maddening. You couldn't understand how any man could be so aware of their looks and yet still come off as slightly shy.

"I'm always nervous the first days of rehearsal.The new schedule, the new people, it's all just overwhelming at times." you divulged honestly. He pulled a knee into his chest heaving a sigh as you continued. "I wish I never started smoking though." you circled back.

"Do you wish you never met him too?"Henry asked, inquisitively peering up from under his hat as he switched knees. You exhaled slowly,fighting for the right way to answer that question.

"Sometimes yes" you nodded. "When I first moved to New York it was really tough, I felt really lonely too." you allowed your voice to trail into a whisper. There is a silence and then you can feel his eyes on you, your cheeks burning red-hot and the more you avoid looking at him the stronger the urge is.

"So that's why you're single." it was brutal but, you weren't upset.Long ago you had come to a similar realization about yourself. Plus, european’s had a way of sounding rude while simply stating facts, it’s part of what makes them so trendy.

"You've allowed life to make you become tough and jaded so you just don't date?Is that it?" he perked an eyebrow in your direction while removing his baseball cap.While you took no offense to his comment, that didn't stop you from hating it.

"Why do you care?" you asked immediately, choosing the defensive instead of going deeper and chasing him down the rabbit hole of honesty.

"See what is that?" he questioned.It was clear he was not going to be letting this go anytime soon.

"I'm trying to do the assignment. I'm trying to get to know you and you push me away."

"Don't be ridiculous."you roll your eyes toward him once again."I'm not pushing you away I just have boundaries and things I don’t want to discuss with you."

You push up from the couch and head in the direction of your room. It was not within his right to pry about your personal relationships,and truly there was nothing more to discuss. Plus, you knew if you stayed close to him a moment longer, you would give into his eyes and the beautiful vanes bulging in his large hand.

"Why?" he asked jumping to his feet,his agility momentarily shocking you as you turn to leave.

"Because I don't want to ! Because you're not-"

"Not what?" he pushes" I've been working around you and this thing between us and I don't why you can be blunt about everything else except this !" He got dangerously close to raising his voice and it stirred the butterflies in your stomach. Something about him being so stern with you set your sex drive ablaze. You could feel yourself biting down hard on your bottom lip and the more you refused to break eye contact with him the more fired up you became. You could see the honesty behind his eyes, he was trying with you, he was proving himself every step of the way and you hated how much you loved it.

"Fine. What is it? What's the THIS?" you ask sarcastically, staring directly at him. His face looked blank and you wondered for a moment if you had asked the right thing. He grabs your hand,falling back onto the couch and pulling you onto the couch on top of him.You quickly realize you are able to put yourself in a position where you can straddle him as he grabs your face, pulling you down to kiss him. You kiss him back slowly , taking time to explore with your tongue. You can feel his hand tangled in your hair at the back of your head and it does something wild to you. You grind down into him and you hear a slight moan escape his mouth.

You bite down suddenly on his bottom lip before coming up for air and he simply can't take it anymore. He wraps his arms around your legs and lifts you up by the bottom of your thighs, carrying you into the bedroom. You feel ridiculously delicate in his arms as he carries you. You break from the kiss momentarily, to make sure your head is ducking all the way under the doorframe as he holds you,smiling into your kiss.

You pull your own shirt off, letting it hit the floor with a loud 'thwack'. The noise momentarily wakes you out of your horny haze. As he lays you on the bed,you bring your forearm up to cover your eyes, in the vaguest attempt of shielding yourself from your own embarrassment. He pulls your pants off and while unsure ,you don't protest as he gingerly splays your legs open for him to see the wetness that had pooled in your underwear.

"O you're so wet for me now."he smiles from ear to ear as you peek through your hand just enough to see his perfectly chiseled chest and you shut your eyes again wondering if this could be real, if he's real.

" We're not done ."he smirks, grabbing you by the legs and pulling you towards him. He then gracefully flips you over onto your hands and knees facing away from him.He pulls your panties down and drags his large fingers over your wet slit and you arch your back at his touch. He settles one hand on your hip as he uses the other hand to work himself into you.You had imagined he was big, but when you feel his head poking into you, you knew your fantasies could never compare to the reality. He uses the hand on your hip to slowly pull you further onto him until you are taking in his whole length. Moving painstakingly slowly, in and out of you. You hear him moaning above you and then he whispers "Fuck” in that stupid accent before snapping his hips into you and pushing you forward. He uses his other hand to prop you up because he knows he's pushing way to hard for someone of your size. Slamming into your pretty little cunt over and over again. You let out his name and you allow plea after plea for him to let you cum. He pounds into you grabbing your hair and pulling your face up to meet his.After a few more thrusts he finally graces you with a reply.

"No." he says and then pulls out of you. Your body immediately feels drained, completely and utterly fucked out and somehow all you want is more. You hold the position for a minute breathing into the lack of movement when you look back to see Henry watching you. Working himself in his large hand, the veins in his arms bulging and a slight bead of sweat beginning to work it's way onto his forehead.

"Turn over" he commands, and as much as you want to move quickly your legs feel like jelly,the smile line at the corner of his mouth fades as he walks towards you and flips you over himself. He positions himself above you again and says "I want to see that pretty face you make when you cum." he smiles down at you sweetly. Pushing in between your hot folds again and the noise you make is downright pornographic. You know it , he knows it and only fuels the fire behind his thrusts . He reaches for your neck again, giving you a pale necklace of fingers and veins that contrasts with your skin . With his other hand you feel him grab at your hand and interlace your fingers with his, above your head. Your eyes fly open and he is looking directly at you, smiling a bit and you can tell he is taking you in. Revelling in all the tiny noises and ways your body responds to his. You can feel his pace quicken as his moans increase, it almost feels as though the longer you look at him the harder he fucks into you, challenging you, seeing if you can handle him. His curls begin to dampen and stick to his forehead, you watch while he looks down on you. He momentarily breaks having his hand at your throat to bring his own pointer to his mouth. You watch as he lighlty bites down on it while letting out a moan.It's almost as if he's trying to keep himself quiet, or burn this view into his brain, but he's to turned on to focus. He fucks into you harder and harder, you can't take it, seeing his teeth around his own finger made you absolutely feral. You cried out his name immediately and before you could realize what was happening you felt your walls tightening again under him. Your legs shook as waves of pleasure washed over you and you could feel yourself clamping down on him. He fucked you through the orgasm, and when it seemed as though you had recovered, he climbed up your body, forcing his cock down your throat, and came instantly. He shudders and makes deep grunts on top of you. You can't help but gag a little on his length as you try to take in the art that is his unclothed body. He hears you struggling for breath and immediately pulls himself out of you. He holds a thumb at the bottom of your chin and watches as you swallow every drop of him. When you're done you look up at him, giving him your best attempt at doe eyes and he turns your chin up for him to kiss you . Fuck. Fuck. you were not supposed to fuck your coworker.Especially not this coworker, you barely even liked him. After a few moments of making out the contact fizzled and eventually he was just laying next to you, breathing heavily.

"It's purely physical." you sighed, watching the small curly hairs on his pecs as his chest heaved.

"Is it?" he began laughing. His smile shone bright in the dimness of the room. He turns to face you, leaning in for a kiss again and you're to weak to deny him.

"Dammit." he whispers between your lips. You grab the back of his head pulling him closer to you, your mind to blissed out and high for you to think.He kisses you hard and then pulls back. He hops off the bed, chest heaving as he uses his forearm to wipe away the sweat. You sleepily roll over to face where he's going. Some minutes pass and before you know it your overly fucked body is begging for rest.You drift of to sleep feeling euphoria in the big bed.

[whatifxwereyou]

Ashes Chapter 3: Cracks in the Glass

Pairing: Liu Kang x Reader

Something is very, very wrong with Liu Kang. It's more than grief. You don't know if you can fix it but you certainly have to keep it from getting in the way of your work.

A/N: I'm loving this grief-stricken drama bullshit I've come up with. It's ridiculous! Hope you guys are having fun with it, too! As always, open to suggestions for shenanigans to input. Much love. Your comments and likes are always appreciated.

First Chapter << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

You awoke to find that Liu Kang was already waiting on you. He’d always been an early bird. You and Kung Lao had been known to sleep entire days away. You showered, packed up your things, and got on the road. The hike would take nearly the whole day as long as you kept walking and didn’t get lost. With any luck you’d reach the spot marked on the map by the evening. If there was nothing there then you would have to rest and then hike back the next day.

You had faith that there would be something there but Liu was skeptical. You were in a place in your life where you had to believe that most people were good and wanted to help each other. Liu Kang tried to prove you wrong the whole damn hike.

It was awkward. Of course, it was awkward. Why wouldn’t it be? You made occasional conversation about the wildlife and how different it was from China but each topic quickly fell flat. He wanted to say things that he knew you wouldn’t want to hear. You disappeared inside your guilt. Then every conversation was you snapping at each other. Your map followed no clear path and you argued about which way to go. You’d called each other out and apologized a few times but it didn’t make the trip any easier.

As the sun began to set and the trees thinned out, you stopped. There was something else there. You had a good sense for that kind of thing. It felt like you weren’t alone but you couldn’t decide if it was people or animals. Either way, something was amiss.

“We don’t have time for another break, Y/N. It shouldn’t be far from here.” Liu Kang was tired despite his objection. He just wanted to snap at you.

“Shut up.” You hurried to catch up with him and grabbed his forearm as you caught movement. You nodded toward the tree to your right. You weren’t alone. Someone was watching you. Liu set down his bag behind him and you did the same. A rock whizzed by you, and you ducked out of the way. A dozen masked men and women ran out from behind the trees, cloaked and armed with sticks.

You turned so your back was to Liu’s and waited. With a yell, one of the masked warriors came at you. You knocked them to the side and ducked another blow. Then, wheeling back, you kicked another in the back of the neck and to the ground. Then you rolled over them and subdued them. They were being non-lethal so you would be too. It felt to you like they were protecting something.

You could hear Liu Kang fighting behind you and you swept the feet out from beneath another warrior. Then you ducked around Liu to grab the wrist of a man who reached for him in his blind spot. You stepped behind the warrior, twisted his arm back and flipped him to the grass. You yelped as you were suddenly grasped around the middle and tackled to the ground. He’d barely gotten you down when he’d been lifted off his feet and thrown back by Liu Kang. Liu stomped, grasped the air before him and filled it with the fire of his impressive arcana.

You leapt to your feet, out of breath but no worse for wear. Clapping your hands together, you rubbed them and then with a fluid twist of both wrists you used your ink arcana to summon two escrima sticks and then twisted them artfully. Ink spread up your arms and to your shoulders like armor to protect you. Then you stood back-to-back with Liu. There were double the warriors there had been to start with. “You okay?” Liu stole a glance at you behind him. You did the same and caught a scrape on his arm.

“Yeah. You?”

“Fine. You ready?” He gestured to the warriors who had you vastly outnumbered. With a swing, you allowed the sticks to disappear and changed your stance. You were going to make a run for it. It’d been years since you’d fought side by side with Liu Kang but now it felt like you’d practiced together every day since then.

“Enough.” The warriors surrounding you relaxed their stances. Then just north of where you stood, several of the warriors made a gap between them. An older woman walked through the gap, face stern. Her eyes were dark and kind and you didn’t feel threatened by her. With a wave of her hand, the warriors stood down and some even walked back through the forest. You exchanged a worried glance with Liu. “You have passed our test and are welcome here.” Her long brown, but graying, hair was pulled into a ponytail. She turned away and gestured for you. “Follow me.”

“Why attack us if we’re welcome here?” Liu was aggressive and you widened your eyes in panic. It was one thing to fight you on everything, but another to fight every stranger. Oh no. The woman stopped walking but the warriors left, presumably toward a village nearby.

“To test your might, young man.”

“It’s okay, Liu. Whatever this place is? It’s secret and important.” That was your not-so-subtle way of telling him to calm the hell down. You touched his forearm as he continued his aggressive stance and much to your surprise, he shoved your hand off. You stumbled. He picked up his bag and yours and then shoved it at you without looking at you. You took it and held the jade circlet close to your chest. Kung Lao would have smacked the back of his head for being such a jerk.

“Please. Follow me.” The woman requested again. You did as she asked and so Liu Kang, with a haughty sigh, did the same. The trees thinned as you walked and as you suspected, there was a small village hidden beyond. It was old but well loved. It reminded you of Raiden’s Temple in a way. Different, obviously, but it had a similar vibe. The buildings were wooden structures and the warriors who had defended the village were now busy about town, mask-less. There was a big bonfire in the middle of the town but it was only smoldering now. Several people were setting about cooking over it.

If you hadn’t been attacked moments ago then you never would have found them threatening. Liu’s posture suggested that he didn’t agree with you one bit. The woman led you to a house on the other side of town and up the stairs of her porch. She opened the door and led you inside.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, thank you.” You had always been taught it was rude to turn down tea. Especially when you’d intruded on someone’s home.

“No.” Liu, who was usually polite, seemed to have lost that part of himself.

“Please, sit.” The woman gestured to the wooden table near her small kitchen and she set about boiling water and pouring tea for the two of you. Liu was uncomfortable and sat on the very edge of his chair. “What brings you to our village?”

“We have come from the Shaolin Order of Light in search of a man. I am here on behalf of Lord Raiden. The man we seek has a dragon mark and is known as Nightwolf.” Liu’s tone was all sorts of off. He’d been good at this once, you remembered that. Very good at it. He was going to get you kicked out at this rate.

“Why is it you and your Lord Raiden seek this man?”

“We believe…” You began since Liu was coming off rude and were surprised as he interrupted you. You even stuttered a little. You gritted your teeth and forced a smile but it took every instinct in your body not to snap at him for behaving like this.

“Our reasons are only for him to know.”

The woman studied you and so you unclenched your jaw and tried to act natural. “Nightwolf lives in solitude to commune with the Gods and spirits of nature. He is not to be disturbed except for matters of great importance.”

“This is a matter of great importance. I assure you.”

“I’m afraid that I must be the judge of that, young man.”

“Then you’re useless to us.” Liu stood from his chair and you covered your mouth in surprise.

“Liu, this isn’t… you can’t just… uh… calm down.” You decided to try to mediate instead of snap.

“We don’t have time to play games, Y/N.”

“She’s not being unreasonable. I’d want to know if it was me. And you would too. Don’t…”

“Fine. Then you figure it out.” Liu left without another word and you watched him go. You ran your tongue over your teeth and tightened your expression, holding back a thousand frustrating things you wanted to express about how he’d handled that so poorly. The woman made your tea and then sat across from you, a sympathetic smile on her face.

“I apologize.” You bowed your head respectfully. “Do you mind if I take a moment? I need to make sure he’s okay. I’m really sorry about this.” This was going so poorly. Raiden would have smacked both of you on the back of the head and told you to get your shit together, but far more eloquently.

“It’s no problem.” The woman, much to your surprise, seemed amused. “I’ve instructed my people to have a space set up for the two of you to stay as long as you require.”

“I’m so grateful for your understanding. He is too even if he doesn’t act like it.”

“Of course.”

“Oh.” You took a sip of the tea quickly. It was bitter and different than what you were used to at home but not bad. “Thank you for the tea. I’ll be back for it.” The woman laughed and nodded toward the door as if telling you to go. You then rushed out the door to follow Liu who was walking out of town through the trees. You caught up to him and grabbed his arm to make him stop. “What is your deal? You’re usually much more respectful than this. I expect this kind of behavior from Kung Lao, not you.”

“We’re wasting our time. Even if we told her the truth, who is to say that she’ll think we’re worthy of it? I’m tired of being pushed around. We’ll find him on our own.”

“This isn’t a waste of time, Liu. We just got here! You can’t be mad at them for protecting themselves! You don’t know what their lives are like here. We intruded upon their home, and they acted accordingly. This woman has been exceedingly kind since we were allowed in and has given us more information than anyone else. That’s valuable. You have to at least give it a chance.”

“What kind of information, Y/N? Some nonsense about solitude and communing with the Gods?”

“Says the monk who lives in a temple where he communes with an ancient god every day.”

“You know what, Y/N?” He began, raising his voice. You braced yourself for the rest of the fight that was coming and had a feeling it was going to get ugly and fast. Much to your surprise, he didn’t continue. Instead, he took a breath, looked you over, rubbed the back of his neck and walked away, dismissing you with a wave. What the hell?

“Liu?”

“Don’t follow me.” He scolded back at you. You stood staring in shock. He was not himself, not at all. You were worried about him. Closing your eyes, you prayed for him to find peace. Kung Lao’s death had broken him. And you had surely made it worse. That was probably why he’d avoided you. It was why you’d avoided him. Then again, you were grieving too. Neither one of you were your best selves right now.

You missed Kung Lao.

What would he have done in this situation? He would have followed Liu Kang and annoyed him until either they fought or he’d talked. You didn’t think that you had it in you emotionally to do that. You knew what was bothering him and there were no words that could fix it.

You made it worse. You had to remind yourself of that. He needed to cool down and you would let him have his peace.

Next Chapter >>

[dsmp-agere-stuff]

hellooo Jade ! 🍒 here again and you’ve seriously gotten me onto little!eret brain rot /pos especially with cg!foolish :D i was wondering if you could write smthn where eret regresses after the banquet / a stressful day so they head to their castle upset but foolish finds them. he takes care of eret. i also imagine eret is a very creative little who likes to play pretend and tell stories so maybe her babbling to foolish and he’s just like “yeah kiddo sounds fun!” maybe end with snuggles ?

Oh!! 🍒, I’ve been wanting to write Eret for a while but haven’t had any ideas, thank you for this!!!

Tw: description of guilt until the first ——, mentions of death until the second ——, Eret has some insecurity about their eyes throughout

Eret went on auto-pilot from the banquet to his house, taking the steps up to the castle slowly with his cane, not processing it, really, just- they couldn’t describe it. They weren’t thinking about it. She wasn’t thinking of anything else. She wasn’t thinking of nothing. She didn’t know what was going on in her head.

Somehow, Eret got to their bedroom, then felt at their neck, at where a sword was held to it. They nearly died today. Foolish- Foolish died today. That shouldn’t have happened, he could feel in his bones that he should have died by now. She had gotten so many people killed. Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, Fundy, and now Foolish lost their first life because of her. He had been on the server for so so long, far longer than most of the people here. He shouldn’t. They were the person who had been around for almost all of it, been involved, been well known, done horrible things, and yet they never died. Dream had died, so why hadn’t she?

——

“Eret!!” There came a loud shriek from the front of the castle. Eret made a sad noise in response, trying to get up. Before they could, someone was at their door.

Eret scrunched up his face, “Go!!!”

“Huh?” Foolish asked, “Hey, hey! It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Eret softened and ran to the door, messing with the lock until it was open. He held out his arms for Foolish and tried to scrunch up his face more to hide the tears.

Foolish gasped and pulled Eret into a tight hug, “hey, hey, it’s okay. Just one life, that’s all. You’re okay. You have two more.”

“‘ou died!” Eret sobbed, “no’ me!!”

Foolish took a moment, “you didn’t die?”

“‘ou did!” Eret pulled away, confused.

——

Foolish softened some and smiled gently, “Thank god.. I thought- did- did any-“ he paused at finally getting a good look at Eret, “Hey, bud, it’s okay.”

Eret used their hands to rub at their tears.

Foolish stayed a bit back, “are you little?”

Eret hummed a ‘Uh-huh’

“Do you want me to take care of you?”

Eret looked into her room, then nodded, going in.

Foolish followed, closing the door behind him, “where do you keep your plushies nowadays?”

Eret pushed a chest of clothes out of the way, then grabbed the box hidden in the wall. You had to hide your valuables real well in the server.

Foolish smiled gently and helped them take it out. “Sooo, which one? The rabbit?”

Eret shook his head, pulling out a plush dog, then holding it close. He kissed it’s head then giggled, smiling nervously at Foolish.

Foolish smiled, “you’ve done this all the time with me. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna judge, okay?”

“Okay.” Eret mumbled into the plush.

“Rodger dodger.” Foolish patted Eret’s head, “Wanna tell me about that little guy’s story?”

Eret looked down at the dog, then up at Foolish, clearly not sure about something.

Foolish saddened and nodded, “yeah, I wanna hear. It’s okay, bud. I like hearing about your stuffy friends.”

Eret messed with the dog’s ears, “hi’ n’me’s Scarl’t.”

“Scarlet? Wow, that’s a really epic name.”

Eret nodded and played with the red paws of the pup, “Uh-Huh. H’ lo’es t’ f’gh’. Sword!” Eret kicked his feet with joy and looked at Foolish again, who nodded, “Sword!”

Eret lit up more and got to the point of just babbling about the stories between all the little plushies that lived in their chest, relaxing in a way that they hadn’t been able to do before everything happened. Wilbur was the last person to treat them this well when little, which probably said something. Even with his former fiancés, Karl and Quackity, he never felt like it was the time to reveal it to them and he was with them for so little time that he didn’t have much of a chance to.

But here Foolish was, reading his tells and taking care of him. They were able to actually talk to someone who was listening. Listening. They could rant for hours and they were sure Foolish would listen for however long Eret wanted him to. And Foolish did until the sky went dark. Eret had scooted their way next to Foolish, holding a different plush to their chest as they went quiet. They tried to get Foolish to hug them.

Foolish looked over Eret, then wrapped an arm around them, “story time over?” Foolish asked in the most genuine voice he could muster.

“Mhm.” Eret pressed his face into Foolish’s shoulder.

“Rodger dodger,” Foolish said, making Eret laugh. Foolish carefully picked Eret up, then placed them on the bed, “good?” He ran a hand through Eret’s hair.

Eret placed his own hand on Foolish’s, then whined.

Foolish looked genuinely confused, “what?”

Eret tried to pull Foolish down by the arm.

Foolish snorted at the little trying, then flopped onto the bed next to them, “hello!” He greeted jokingly.

Eret wrapped himself around Foolish’s arm, getting comfy.

Foolish reached to take the sunglasses off of Eret, but Eret whined before Foolish could.

“Buddy... you need to take your glasses off to sleep.” Foolish frowned softly, “hey, it’s okay. Just me.”

Eret pointed at a drawer by the bed.

Foolish opened it, then pulled out a mask that went over the eyes. Foolish handed it over, then looked away from Eret until she tugged on Foolish’s arm. Foolish looked back over and relaxed some, “comfy?”

Eret presses her face more into Foolish’s shoulder, “ni.” She managed.

“Night, night, kiddo.” Foolish started petting them until they both fell asleep.

[simp4kuvira]

The Guilty Consequences

My second-ever fanfiction! I tried to approach this using an angsty/hurt/comfort angle. Hopefully it’s satisfactory. Likes and reblogs are always appreciated 💚

Summary: Kuvira has achieved everything she's ever dreamed of. The Avatar and her fiancé are gone, Republic City has fallen, the Earth Empire is fully united, and there's nothing obstructing her goals anymore. But why does she feel the guilty consequences of her actions gnawing at her psyche?

Rating: Mature for foul language and mentions of death and violence.

Pairing: Fem!Reader x Kuvira

Word count: ~3,950 words

To read on fanfiction.net, click here.

To read on AO3, click here.

“Great Uniter?”

Your gentle voice draws Kuvira’s attention away from the cockpit’s windows of her enormous mecha suit, which is currently situated over the rubble of what used to be President Raiko’s office. After successfully stopping Team Avatar from meddling in Kuvira’s efforts to conquer Republic City, the rest of the United Republic of Nations fell neatly into the hands of the Earth Empire. Korra and her friends were clever enough to believe that kidnapping Kuvira’s so-called fiancé and using him as a bargaining chip would convince her to give up the assault on Republic City. Little did they know, Kuvira was ecstatic to seize the opportunity to rid herself of the engagement and wipe out Team Avatar for the good of the empire. One simple blast of her mecha’s spirit cannon directed towards Future Industry’s factory killed two birds with one stone. Of course, Kuvira still had to worry about Korra’s reincarnation when the new earthbending Avatar came of age, but seeing as how they would be reborn into the Earth Empire, the Great Uniter was not concerned about the future Avatar’s actions for now. She would worry about that problem on another day. For now, the aftermath of Republic City’s defeat was a more pressing matter.

The corner of Kuvira’s lip twitches upward in a faint smile when she turns to meet your gaze. You stride towards her and wrap an arm around her waist before planting a quick kiss on the beauty mark underneath her eye. A noise of contentment emanates somewhere deep in her throat as she leans into your touch. “You know you don’t have to call me Great Uniter, Y/N. Especially not when we’re alone.” 

“Oh trust me, I know,” you retorted. “I just thought it would be fitting to use your official title to commemorate you on a job well done. The Earth Empire is completely unified now thanks to you.” 

Kuvira’s eyes flicker back to surveying the remnants of Republic City. “You flatter me, Y/N. I hardly completed the effort on my own. There were my soldiers, my engineers, and don’t forget the radio technician that triangulated Team Avatar and Baatar’s location in Future Industry’s factory. We’d still be at war with Republic City if it weren’t for their intel. I owe my success to my loyal followers, and especially to you. I don’t regret appointing you to draft annexation treaties for the states that yielded peacefully.” She chuckled softly. “I would’ve never gotten to know you so intimately if I hadn’t done that, much less had the privilege to call you mine.” She presses an innocent kiss to the corner of your mouth.  

You scoffed playfully and pulled back from Kuvira’s waist. “You give yourself too little credit! Not many people would’ve had the mental fortitude to take out your strongest opposition using the spirit cannon. The Earth Empire exists because of you.” You lower your voice and snuggle back to Kuvira’s side. “You know… I’m kinda glad that you did it, even if it sounds awful. It’s unfortunate that Korra and Baatar are gone, but at least we don’t have to worry about the Avatar for another sixteen-something years. We don’t have to hide our relationship from everyone anymore, and you don’t have to pretend to be attracted to some gross guy. We can be authentically together in peace while you build your nation. That’s what matters.” A twinge of guilt spreads through your chest when you dare to defile Korra and Baatar, but you ignore it as best as possible. This is for the best, you repeat to yourself. Funnily enough, that phrase has become a personal mantra for both you and your lover.

You felt Kuvira’s muscles stiffen almost imperceptibly when she heard the words “Avatar” and her ex-fiancé’s name on your lips. Surely she must feel relieved that she doesn’t have to fake being in love with a man as a cheap cover-up for her true sexuality, even if he was taken out of the picture a tad bit brusquely, to say the least. She also doesn’t have Korra breathing down her neck anymore, so what gives? Kuvira’s eyes are glued to the windows offering a panoramic view of the leagues and leagues of wreckage. She remains uncomfortably quiet. 

Unsure of whether or not Kuvira wants you to remain clinging onto her, you start pulling away when she shows no sign of breaking the silence. You’ve been romantically involved with Kuvira for three years now, and you know that when she clams up, there’s no use trying to pry her open until she’s ready. During the first few months of your relationship, she would often have trouble separating her outwardly ambitious and cunning persona from her inwardly vulnerable and tender true self. On days where her reunification efforts fell behind schedule or the Avatar knocked her carefully calculated plans awry, Kuvira’s sour mood leaked into your personal lives. At times, she would inadvertently lapse into Great Uniter-mode while you were trying to relax together after a long day’s work. It wasn’t until you gently coaxed her out of her tension that she began to share what was weighing heavily on her mind. You supported her as best as you could, but when it came to more delicate topics, such as her childhood, her relationship with her adoptive family, or her innermost feelings, Kuvira shut down. She would come clean to you when she was prepared to talk. All would reveal itself in due time. 

You murmured something vague about seeing her later as you padded quietly towards the door. Just as you were about to leave the mecha’s cockpit, a feeble voice called out for you to wait. Stopping in your tracks, you spun on your toes to look at Kuvira. The orange sunset filtered in through the windows and outlined her body in a shimmering glow, which seemed to have a softening effect on her unusually tense body language. Her entire frame was as rigid as a steel beam, legs shoulder-width apart, arms poised behind her back. Her brow was furrowed ever-so-slightly and the corner of her eyes were pinched, as if she was lost in thought or fighting off a headache.

“Y/N,” she ventured. She inhaled sharply before continuing. “I thought reuniting the Earth Empire and conquering the United Republic of Nations would be… different. Ever since Suyin refused to stabilize Ba Sing Se and share Zaofu’s progressiveness, I believed I was the only person competent enough to take initiative. I stepped up to the plate and accomplished my goals. The Earth Empire is stronger than ever. I’m finally in the position to launch industrialization and modernization campaigns in villages neglected by that archaic monarchy everyone despised. I restored order where there was anarchy. I stopped lawless bandits stealing from the poor. I gave resources to the needy when we annexed states, yet…” her eyes flutter closed for a moment as she pauses to collect her thoughts. When she reopens her eyes, her jade colored eyes plead silently at you. Even when you’re standing across the cockpit from each other, you notice that her shoulders are trembling ever-so-slightly. 

You’re astonished at Kuvira’s rare moment of vulnerability. Usually it takes her a few hours, maybe a day or two, for her to open up about a touchy subject. Even then, she’s not one to show emotion so openly on her countenance, not unless she’s severely distressed and totally certain that you and her are alone together. You took a few hesitant steps towards her. 

“You thought winning would be different, huh?” Unsure of how to proceed, you decided to try your hand at a bit of light-hearted banter to see if it might have an effect on your lover. “Well, yeah winning was going to be different! You made your plans based on the assumption that Korra would always be a pain in the ass even after we annexed the United Republic and started our projects, but now you don’t have to worry about her anymore! What about the wedding? You don’t have to marry a guy you don’t love, and we don’t have to worry about hiding our relationship from everyone. Isn’t that a weight off your shoulders?” Despite your confession, you knew the loss of life was a tragedy. You convinced yourself that it was for the greater good, and you knew Kuvira shared your sentiment. This is for the best, you recited. You shimmied towards her and reached out to hold her gloved hands in your own. Icy fingers of anxiety began to spider its way throughout your chest when you looked into her eyes plagued by fear. “Kuvira… is everything alright?” You squeezed her quivering hands for emphasis. 

Kuvira’s eyes flitted to a spot right over your shoulder. “That’s not what I meant, Y/N. I meant I thought winning would be better than this.” 

“Better?” 

“Yes. Better.” It appears Kuvira is becoming irritated at you.

“Kuvira, I won’t understand what you’re trying to say if you keep beating around the bush like that. Why isn’t this better?” 

Kuvira lets out an exasperated groan and yanks her hands away from you. “Don’t pretend to be stupid, Y/N. You know what I’m talking about. There’s more good in the Earth Empire than bad. At least, that’s what I keep trying to convince myself. This is for the best, we would always say. I made more progress than what I took away from people. The price I paid— no, the price other people paid— for my progress was justified. Isn’t it?” Kuvira’s voice falters on the last two words tumbling out of her lips. “What good is ruling the Earth Empire if all I have to show for it is a pile of rubble? Just look at this! How am I supposed to uplift my people if this is what I have to work with?” Her voice steadily rose in volume the more she spoke, until she was practically yelling when she swept her arm to the window showcasing Republic City’s destroyed buildings. 

The adrenaline rushing through your body begins to drown out all hopes of rational thought and speech. You find yourself raising your voice to match your lover’s anger. “Kuvira, I thought this is what you wanted. You wanted to tear out the old and bring in the new. That’s all you ever talked about when we were campaigning. Why are you changing your mind now?” 

“For fuck’s sake, don’t you see? You even said it yourself! It’s a tragedy that the Avatar and my ex-fiancé and all these other people are gone.” Kuvira’s eyes flash dangerously with seething rage. “Why did I make other people pay for my hopes and dreams for the Earth Empire? I dethroned Prince Wu and ridiculed him in front of the whole world, I threatened to let people die if they didn’t join me, I forced Varrick to build a weapon of mass destruction, I destroyed the most spiritual and sacred tree in the Foggy Swamp for the sake of violence, I didn’t hesitate to put dissenters in reeducation camps to be brainwashed and dehumanized.” She takes a ragged breath before bellowing “I murdered people with my spirit cannon. Why didn’t you fucking stop me, Y/N?”

Your voice reaches a shrill pitch as you hurl back your rebuttal. “I didn’t stop you because this is what you wanted,” pointing an accusing finger towards Kuvira to accentuate your points. “You’re charismatic enough to make other people agree with you. You convinced yourself you were doing this for everyone else’s good, and you convinced me, too. Don’t you remember? This is for the best. No one stopped you because you locked yourself in an echo chamber filled with people that agreed with your plans. And when someone did have the courage to speak up, you sent them to reeducation camps, threatened their lives, or outright killed them.” 

“So you think this is my fault?” Kuvira takes an intimidating step towards you and looks down upon you threateningly. Her voice drops to a dangerously low growl. “Me? This is all me?” 

“Now it’s your turn to stop being dense, Kuvira. You just admitted that you thought winning would be different and you just gave a guilt-ridden speech about making other people pay for your mistakes. Open your damn eyes!” 

Kuvira abruptly pivots her body away from you and takes several steps back. “You are dismissed, soldier,” she whispered in a cold voice as unyielding as steel. She resumed looking out the window with her arms behind her back. 

“Seriously, Kuvira?” you moan. “You can’t just push me away like that when you’re so close to realizing the truth. Why don’t you listen to me? Why don’t you listen to yourself?” You cautiously take a step closer before she whips around and metalbends a fragment of her shoulder plate in your general direction which misses your face by a mere hairsbreadth. Your body freezes as your mind races to comprehend that Kuvira would dare threaten your safety. 

“Leave me, Y/N.” Kuvira refuses to look at you.

You stand motionless for a moment that stretches on for an eternity as your eyes overflow with bitter tears. The cockpit’s door slams loud enough to reverberate throughout the mecha suit as you plod your way down to the nearest exit and catch a ferry to Kuvira’s base of operations on Air Temple Island, knowing she would meet you there when she was ready to be calm and civilized. The whole time you spent traveling from the giant mecha to Republic City’s docks, throngs of weary-eyed refugees peeking behind piles of rubble plagued your sights. Thankfully, the two bodyguards escorting you to the personal quarters you shared with Kuvira kept the masses at bay, but the stark reality of so many war-torn people suffering from the conflict infected your guilty conscience. You roughly dismissed your bodyguards once you set foot on the Island and wasted no time briskly marching to your shared bedroom. You hoped the evening’s darkness masked the silent tears flowing down your cheeks. 

 Your nightmares consisted of petrified throngs of innocent people fleeing Kuvira’s army. Exhausted bodies toiling away in reeducation camps. The terror etched upon soldiers’ faces as Kuvira intimidated them with violence. And finally, a vision of what you imagined Baatar’s, Korra’s, and the rest of Team Avatar’s last moments on earth must’ve been like before an overpowering purple light burned their bodies out of existence. 

You jolted upright in bed drenched in a cold sweat and gasping for air. “Fuck,” you stammered under your breath over and over. “Fucking fuckity fuck. Kuvira really did convince me that everything was for the best, didn’t she?” You didn’t want to believe it at first, but the nagging voice lingering somewhere in your head relentlessly reminded you that this destruction wasn’t worth thousands upon thousands of ruined lives. 

Your only job in the Earth Empire’s army was to help expedite the political and legal process of unifying a country. If your position was relatively peaceful and bloodless, you couldn’t begin to imagine Kuvira’s guilt about orchestrating this three year long operation. How am I supposed to convince Kuvira to see the light? you pondered. She was so close to realizing it before she snapped at me. Maybe I can talk to her again and—

An abrupt knocking shook you out of your thoughts. I thought I told those guards to leave me alone. You shuffled to the door and slid it open, half expecting for it to be another diplomat’s messenger begging for you to revise this oh-so-important legal paperwork that couldn’t possibly wait until morning, until you looked up and saw Kuvira slouched against the doorframe. Her chocolate-colored hair cascaded about her shoulders, and her uniform was rumpled from head to toe. You could count on one hand the number of times Kuvira allowed herself to look this haggard, and frankly, the fact that she looked this way hours after your fight in the cockpit led you to believe that maybe she had taken your advice seriously. 

“Kuvira?” you gasped.

“Y/N,” she mumbled feebly. “I’m sorry. I know you probably don’t want to see me after how I reacted, but I don’t know where else to go.” Her voice quavered. “I don’t have anyone else who I can trust with these feelings that are eating me up inside, and I thought maybe you could…” her sentence trailed off unfinished. “Before you left, you mentioned that you knew all of this,” she gestured vaguely at the surrounding area, “was wrong, but I convinced you that it was okay, and I convinced myself that it was okay too, but now I realize that it’s wrong and for fuck’s sake I don’t know what to do about it now.” The last of her strength escaped her body and she crumpled to the floor in a heap of unrestrained sobbing.

Swooping down to the floor alongside her, you promptly wrapped your arms around her shoulders and nestled her into your embrace. Whatever animosity you felt because of how she shooed you out of the cockpit had dissipated. Your fingers threaded themselves into the locks of her hair as you whispered soothing words. 

 “I’m so sorry I pulled the entire world down with me. I’m so sorry I ruined nearly everyone’s life.” The full force of her words bubbled out of her mouth uninhibited by her previous attempts of restraint. She couldn’t stop talking now if she tried. “I saw how hopeless my nation was after it descended into lawlessness. I was willing to pay the ultimate price to nurture it into something stronger than ever before, but I didn’t realize I had no authority to take away other people’s autonomy. I had no right to take lives, no right to let people suffer when I didn’t get what I wanted, no right to let people starve on the streets if a state didn’t join the Empire, no right to usurp power, no right to throw the entire world out of balance by murdering the Avatar just to achieve my vision.” She buries her face into your nightshirt before choking out her final sentences. “I’m so sorry I pulled you down with me, Y/N. I especially didn’t want to threaten you the way I did earlier. You’re the last person I ever want to hurt.” 

You feel that Kuvira’s sorrow is rather misplaced. She shouldn’t be entirely apologizing to you, but rather to the whole world and everyone whom’s lives she changed for the worse. But now is not the time to object to her apology. For now, you let her weep into your chest for several minutes until her tears subside and her body stops trembling.

After her emotions have stabilized somewhat, you help your lover stand on her feet and guide her to the edge of the mattress. You gently work out the knots in her hair using your fingers and begin to strip the layers of her uniform off her body. She tries protesting by claiming that she’s perfectly capable of doing it herself, but you discourage her by pressing a finger to her lips and muttering “you’ve had a rough day in more ways than one. Let me help you get ready for bed.” Once you’ve helped her don her nightclothes, you stretched yourself out on the bedsheets and gently pulled her into your protective embrace once more. 

Several minutes of silence pass like this, Kuvira curled up flush against your body, before you felt it was safe to express your thoughts about her confession. “Kuvira, I appreciate you apologizing to me, but I’m not the only person you should be apologizing to. Telling me you’re sorry isn’t going to absolve all of your guilt.” 

“I know,” she said. “I know I have a long journey ahead of me, but you were the first person I felt I needed to apologize to before I kept going.” 

“I say this with love, but I think you owe an apology to the entire world. You can’t keep living in guilt like this.” 

Kuvira pauses briefly before saying “I don’t think I could live with myself if I keep being the Great Uniter. The position I created for myself carries too much blood and suffering.” 

“Does that mean you’re going to stop being the Great Uniter?” 

“I think I’m going to convene with all the major world leaders. Raiko is still around somewhere, and so is Prince Wu, Tenzin, the Beifongs, Fire Lord Izumi. I still want the country to be modernized like the rest of the world, but I think it’s best if they take the reins. I don’t think they’d appreciate me doing the work after how I’ve hurt everyone. I’ll arrange a speech announcing my decision to permanently step down. And then,” she takes a shaky breath, “I’ll happily walk into a courtroom and accept whatever punishment the law deems fit.”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to take such a drastic decision so quickly, but I’m glad you did. I’m not blameless either, Kuvira. I’m sorry for enabling you. I hope I can make up for it by being with you every step of the way.”

An unamused grin creeps upon Kuvira’s face. “Even if it means we’ll go to prison together?”

“Especially if it means we go to prison together,” you chided. “How else would I keep you company? I wouldn’t leave you all by yourself. Maybe we can be cellmates.” Her face is still marred red-rimmed eyes and a slight scowl. If you dared to tickle her, she might crack a genuine smile for the first time since Republic City fell. 

You dig your fingers into Kuvira’s side, eliciting a sharp yelp from her before she’s overcome by a fit of giggles. The sound of Kuvira’s mirth is a treat she rarely shares with anyone, especially since she shouldered this massive enterprise. Who knows when you’d ever get to hear or see her happy like this?

A fraction of the tension in her body has melted away after her laughter subsides. “Thank you sincerely. Your support is priceless, and so is your humor.” She snuggles closer into your body before murmuring “I love you, Y/N” into your shoulder. 

“I love you too,” you whispered before you both drifted off to sleep. The peace between you and Kuvira would be radically different, if not uncertain, by the time she calls upon the world leaders and steps down. For at least this one silent night, you can cherish your last few moments of freedom together with her.

[elismistscorner]

OC Interview: Eli Aleksandros

Draw (or use an old drawing, don’t worry!) or take a screen of your character in an interview setting and make them answer the following questions!

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Thank you @i-mybrunettelady and @thoseofuswhoblossom for tagging me, this was fun to do!

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Off stage:

Eli: "Do I really have to do this? it feels so pretentious and blah"

Albus: "Yes! You are a hero to these people, and maybe knowing about you will help inspire others! You will be fine, and I'll be right over here for you."

Eli: sighs "okay."

INTRODUCTION

Can you introduce yourself?:

“Hello, I am Eli, Champion of Aurene.” After a moment of silence, Albus interjects: "You might also know him as Dragon slayer, God slayer, Guild leader, Priory Archon or Magister, Hero of Lion's Arch, Hero of Shaemoor, and ex-commander of the Pact-" "Oh my god. Albus!!" "Love you~"

What is you gender identity, orientation and relationship status?:

"I'm male, and...” looks over at Albus "engaged to that goof over there."

Where and when were you born?:

“I errrr... am not sure exactly where I was born, but I grew up within the walls of Divinity's Reach in Salma District. Well, at least until my elemental abilities started to show, and then I was sent to the Priory HQ but still inside Divinity's Reach. For the second part of that question; I am about old enough to be a sylvari secondborn.”

What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?:

“I guess I was 'classically trained' in the Priory to use the staff, so that may be what I am most confortable with. Albus helped me train with the sword when we realized we would have to confront Balthazar... that did not turn out so well, but against non-gods I can hold my own. However, now that I find myself in a bit of a lull, I have begun training with other weapon types, but that's confidential information... at least for now” he chuckles.

Lastly, are you happy?:

After a brief pause to think his answer, Eli looks down at his ring and then at Albus. "Yeah. I would say so."

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

What’s your family like? What is your relationship with them?:

"Hmm... well, like I mentioned earlier, I don't have any clues on my biological parents, but Uncle Andrew raised me like his own, and his daughter, Petra, is like a sister to me. I haven't been able to visit them in some time, but we exchange letters; they're doing well."

Have you ever ran away from home?:

"Technically yes? 'Ran away' makes it sound dramatic. As a child, I just wanted to find a place where I could figure out my elemental abilities without hurting anyone."

Would you consider marriage or having children?:

Eli looks over at Albus who is clearly waiting to hear this answer. "Okay so. Earlier, when I said I was engaged, I lied a little bit. Albus and I are actually married! He declares with joy and relief. "After I recovered from Bangar's ambush in Drakkar's lair, we decided to not waste any more time. We had been going non-stop for so long, and we were headed into an uncertain future, so we decided to just get married right there in the Eye of the North with some of our guildmates present, and Aurene of course. It was really nice actually. On the subject of children, does Aurene count?" he laughs.

Do you secretly hate one of your friends?:

"What? I don't... what? They're not really your friend if you.. hate... them? I'm not sure I understand the question."

Which friend knows everything about you?:

“Definitely Albus," he smiles "he's seen me at my best and worst. However, I do also have a couple good friends in the Order of Whispers, who I trust enough to confide in. But also, who knows what information they have on me in their archives. So maybe them too. Oh and Jory as well; again, she's someone I trust, but she's also very intuitive and a personal detective. Haha, maybe my life is not as private as I would like it to be”

ASKED BY FANS

Are you literate? Have you been to school?:

“Did you say this was asked by a fan? Anyway, yes. Like I mentioned, I grew up partially in the Priory so...”

The eeriest prediction you made that later came true?:

“So, this is less a prediction, and more a theory I had. See, I've always been fascinated by the mists and alternate realms or dimensions; fractals if you will. And I always thought there must be some way, when all the stars perfectly align for a soul to come back from the dead by traversing through time/space in the right way. And well, here I am.”

What is something you were embarrassingly late to realize?:

With an almost apologetic look, Eli glances at the floor, then up at Albus. “That I have managed to surround myself with very capable people, and that I can trust them to hold their own... aaand that I cannot do this alone; I need them.”

Do you have mental health or physical issues?:

“When you say these are fan questions... like who exactly... I'll say this. I am very lucky to have the people I have around me. They help me stay grounded.”

What is your current main goal?:

“For so long my only goal has been to survive. Except not even that. So for now I don't have any goals per se. Although I am looking forward to the Festival of the Four Winds to return. We always use it to take some time off and just be. The beaches are really nice-" "Also the Queen's Jubilee!" Albus interrupts. "Hah... On a different note, I've read so much about Cantha, and now that I've explored Elona, I'd like to see the Jade Sea, but who knows when that will happen.”

CHOICES

Drink or food?:

“Oh hmmm.. it depends on when you ask me. When we were lost in the (Magumma) jungle, between the rivers and creeks and the HUMIDITY, I never really thirsted for a drink, but a nice meal would have really hit the spot. However, while wondering through Elona, there were so many times I would've killed for a refreshing drink. So... both?

Cats or dogs?:

"Oh dogs for sure"

Early bird or night owl?:

“Hmmm... well, the Elonian sky is a true wonder that can only be perceived at night but sunrises are nice... No, you know what. I'm a night owl. Yup. Don't know why I hesitated”

Optimist or pessimist?:

"I don't think I could... I have to believe things can and will improve, otherwise why would I bother going through everything I have?"

Sassy or sarcastic?:

“I think sarcasm? I know I definitely cannot out-sass Albus.”

HAVE YOU EVER

Been caught sneaking out:

“Pretty sure it happened in the Priory a couple times. Except... I wasn't sneaking out, I was... sneaking... in.” he sighs "I wanted to get in the library after hours and keep researching...-" "OH MY GOD ELI HAHAHA" Albus bursts off-stage.

Broke a bone:

“Wait like, A specific one? I don't... Like, you realize it is statically impossible that I would have gotten this far without such an injury.“

Received flowers:

“Yeah actually! It was nice.“

Ghosted someone:

Eli's gaze wanders as he takes a moment to think of an answer. "Oh, I guess I have. There was this one time that I accidentally ghosted a couple friends... when I died HAAAA!" He boasts with unwarranted pride on his own joke while scanning the room's reactions. "Get it? cause I was a ghost!" he grins. "That was good, wasn't it?" Albus simply facepalms in the corner.

Pretended to laugh at a joke you didn’t get:

“Let me remind you again, I grew up inside basically a library full of smart people. Smart people that sometimes like to show off just how smart they are by using humor they know you will not understand because you're a CHILD.”

After the interview:

Eli: "So? how did I do?"

Albus: "You were great, as I knew you'd be. You we're yourself, and that's all I would ever ask of you."

Eli: "Thanks. I'm glad you were here with me."

---

I tag (with no obligation of course, I would love to catch up on old OCs or learn about new ones but you can pass!):

I feel to "new" to tag people haha. I guess I tag you the reader! If you've been waiting on someone to tag you to join the fun, this is your chance! :D

Also @thepinkywarband, get on this (if you wanna) :3

[shimmershae]

My thoughts on Episode 8--For Blood

As always, placed behind a cut for those of you that would rather escape my babbling, lol.  You’re welcome.  

Sadly, I don’t think this is anticipation I feel.  I’m pretty sure it’s dread but okay.  Here we go.  

This episode has to go up from the rock bottom boredom of last week, right?  

Let me preface what I’m about to say with the truth that I in no way hate Maggie.  She’s been with us since Season 2 and I have an emotional attachment to her, mostly due to my love of Glenn and the way he loved her.  She’s not my favorite by any means, but the fact of the matter is, I do like and appreciate her and don’t mind that she is back because it’s nice to have old familiar faces with us to take us into the final season.  That said?  Forcing Maggie front and center after her long absence ultimately, IMHO, has not worked in these first 8 episodes.  I can’t help but feel if ASZ had been the A story with Maggie/Negan and Daryl/Leah/the Reapers the B1 and B2 story?  These episodes would have been better received overall and not feel so much like they’re trying so hard.  Maybe lead me toward the water instead of shoving my head in it next time, Angela?  Hmm?  

Oh goodie.  They’re opening at Meridian.  Should I get my bathroom break out of the way now or give myself an out for later?  Call it Shae’s choice, lol.  

That flicker of a smirk Leah gave to Carver after their mini walk down memory lane had more spark to it than the entirety of her and Daryl’s toxic relationship.  In the future, maybe Angela will lean all in on them instead of Leah and Daryl.  Something tells me Leah knows this “brother” biblically.  

Daryl recognizes Whisperer moves when he sees ‘em.  Somehow, he realizes Maggie and Negan have banded together however reluctantly.  

Pope doing it “Dixon’s” way but not allowing Dixon to do the actual thing shows the level of distrust and paranoia the man still haves for outsiders. 

Look at Daryl chewing his lips with worry for his people.  If he and Leah know each other even a little bit, she has to recognize that as one of his tells.  

Ooohhhh.  Who took the first stab at Wells?  Maggie?  Negan?  Father G?  I swear.  I took my eyes off the “ball” one second and the whole damn play is halfway down the field.  Sorry.  If you cannot tell, I watched football with the fam yesterday, lol.  

The Walking Dead logo didn’t crumble this time.  Interesting.  Parts of it looked like it had been rebuilt.  With brick.  Wood.  Other parts of it looked reclaimed by nature.  Call me crazy, but that almost looks like an eye/part of a face on the first D.  

Okay then.  Babbling nonsense about the logo over, lol.  Tell me.  Please.  Anybody.  How do the events at ASZ line up with the events at Meridian?  Because it’s night and full-blown storming in ASZ and still daylight at Meridian.  But hey.  Thank fuck we’re in ASZ.  

All the babies huddled together giving me feels.  Sorry.  I know some feel they have no place on the show, but I personally enjoy their inclusion from time to time.  It usually plucks hard at my heartstrings.  

Connie tenderly comforting an injured Virgil is sweet, not gonna lie.  

Aww.  Is that Hershel petting a scared RJ’s hair?  Unless it’s a case of me not being able to pick out and place all the little hands, which it most certainly could be, I’m thinking Judith’s got her hand on her knee and that’s Hershel’s hand in RJ’s hair.  Regardless of whose hand is where, it was a sweet little scene.  What can I say?  I’m easy because Baby Glenn and Baby Rick, ya’ll.  

Oh snap.  The windmill’s on fire and pieces of the wall are blowing down main street ASZ like steel tumbleweeds, lol.  

Anybody else having flashbacks to the barn from Season 5?  Good times.  We still had most of Team Family with us then.  They were in a bad place, hurting and lost and just trying to survive--when are they not just trying to survive?--but they were together.  I miss them.  

Carol and Lydia holding each other.  These two, lovelies, have my whole heart.  

Wells is Walker Jerky, Shaw.  Stop wasting your breath.  

“She did.  My enemy.”  I mean, are we supposed to get the impression Maggie’s been a formidable adversary to Pope?  Because she feels more like a roach that simply knows the best rocks to hide under.  Granted, roaches are hard to kill but still.  I’m gonna need them to give us something better than Maggie being Pope’s enemy simply because she didn’t want to give up her home without a fight because this is frankly unbelievable and bordering on stupid.  

Alright.  So they’ve obviously been sowing the seeds of distrust and defiance between Leah and Pope because she doesn’t like losing family but Daryl?  Man?  You and Leah have differing opinions about how family operates.  Trust me on this.  

So.  Three teams, huh?  Aaron fighting the windmill fire, Carol repairing the breach in the wall, Rosita protecting the babies that represent their future.  Choose your fighters, lol.  Seriously, though.  Why do I have the sinking feeling only one group is going to be shown actually doing their thing?  

Listen.  Am I pissed we haven’t gotten the scene we deserve yet between Carol and Connie after all that’s happened and we’re getting crumbs mainly because Angela wrongly feels the Reapers/Maggie & Negan/Daryl & Leah need more focus?  Absolutely.  You bet your sweet asses.  But Melissa fucking McBride just took the crumbs allotted her and made a magnificent, work of art cake out of it trying all on her lonesome to feed us starving Carol fans.  

Bless Connie wanting wanting to go with Carol.  What a show of trust and sister-like solidarity that must have some hate-rotted guts about to turn themselves out.  

I love Kelly and Connie’s sister bond.  No ill will intended, but It takes the good parts of Maggie and Beth and elevates it beyond anything those two ever showed us.  I really feel like that’s a testament to Angel and Lauren’s real life ease with each other.  

Magna choosing to go with Aaron makes me wonder if it’s possible she feels some kind of residual guilt over Connie.  Not guilt for anything she’s actually done, but simply guilt over making it out.  

Virgil volunteering to help.  Okay.  Damn.  I’m honestly starting to like the guy.  

Judith offering to go with her aunt Carol had me all up in my feels.  I mean, granted.  It was a blink and you miss it scene.  We really deserved a longer heart to heart between that little girl and the woman that’s sacrificed so much to keep her safe and loved her for so long, but you know I’ll gobble any and all Judith/Aunt Carol content up.  Seems to me, Little Ass Kicker is just as afraid of letting Aunt Carol out of her sight as Uncle Daryl.  My heart.  

Gracie and Aaron are sweet.  And honestly?  I find them more realistic and true to what normal parents and children would be like in a ZA than Judith and Michonne no matter how much I love that bond.  I mean no disrespect, but I really do.  

“Why am I keeping you around?”  Pope asking the question we’re all wondering.  

Not Apocalypse Popeye comparing Daryl to a stray dog.  Joe from the Claimers already declared Daryl an outside cat that thought he was an indoor cat.  I did have to internally cheer when Daryl was like “I’m ain’t gonna lick it” talking about the helping hand Pope had extended him.  

“Somehow she has turned the dead against the living.  Oh, that’s impressive.”  The thing about Pope respecting Maggie so much as an enemy is I just find it hard to buy, lol.  Like if this had been Carol, yeah.  But Maggie?  Nope.  They’ve mostly shown her (with Gage being the bewildering exception) to be all bark and no bite.  

Has the house in ASZ really become that dilapidated that they can see through its walls?  Because its original owners dodged a bullet if so.  

Look at Grace hero-worshipping Judith.  It’s sweet.  

Virgil telling Judith Michonne would be proud of her is nice but doesn’t feel as earned as if someone like Daryl or Carol that actually knew Michonne well said it.  But maybe that’s the whole point--Judith needs to hear it from someone she knows isn’t going to just say what she wants to hear.  

Call me jaded, it was a touching scene, but also?  It felt designed to allow Judith to move beyond her very normal and realistic feelings of being abandoned by Michonne, even though she gave her the “okay” herself.  Like she’s still a kid.  Wants don’t always line up with feelings.  Anyway.  Cailey continues to be a bright, shining little star and I love how she’s managed to make Judith a true amalgamation of all the people she’s loved who have loved her in return.  Not just Michonne.  I know people like to overlook and cheapen the fact, but it’s taken a village and entire family to raise her from infancy.  

Gracie really should have known better than play in front of the windows during a storm period, but oh well.  Plot point, lol.  

Seriously, though.  I feel like they’ve teased poor Gracie’s demise in a multitude of ways since the beginning of the season.  I hope nothing ultimately comes of it but I fear it will.  All I can say if the worst comes to happen is poor Aaron.  

Where are Negan and Elijah though?  Ouch.  There they are, taking on shrapnel for the cause.  

Ready the what now?  

There’s ASZ’s Baby Sitter Extraordinaire!  Barbara, is it?  That lady’s been putting in the work since Season 5 at least.  

I’ve honestly grown to love Rosita.  More of her and less of Maggie, please and thank you.  

“Let’s stay away from the windows.”  I’m sorry but I had to LMAO at that.  Still a badass moment though.  

Gabe hobbling toward his assigned sentinel.  At least they haven’t forgotten he’s injured like they seemed to forget Daryl was near death last season before the attack on Hilltop, lol.  

“It’s hard to watch something you care about change.”  Listen, Leah.  Chick.  You and Daryl obviously never really knew each other.  It’s always been obvious but I have a feeling “DIxon” is finally going to show you, spoilers or no spoilers.  

WTF are they calling that thing?  Sorry.  I have just as hard a time understanding Pope’s accent as I do Maggie’s sometimes.  

That’s not love that has Daryl telling Leah she can come with him.  That’s care for somebody he used to know.  There is a distinct difference that’s obviously lost on so many.  How can you really and truly love someone you cannot trust?  Especially in Daryl Dixon’s case?

Why does Angela hate us so much?  Giving us all these Reaper scenes and leaving us to simply imagine Carol and Connie and Kelly working side by side to save the wall?  

I think I honestly could have enjoyed this whole Reaper storyline more, at least a little bit anyway, had they not retrofitted a half-assed romance between Daryl and the story’s weakest link and if only they’d made it the B storyline and given earned deference to the goings-on in ASZ instead.  

I wonder if Glenn taught Maggie how to hot write a car?  I miss my baby Glenn.

Apocalypse Popeye is several fries short of a Happy Meal.  What else is new on this show, lol?  

I care for Maggie.  Mostly for nostalgia’s sake and Glenn and Baby Hershel but damn, man.  She’s not actually proven herself got be worth killing your entire “family” for.  But are too far gone, so.  We’ll make allowances.  

I will say at least this episode is not as abysmally biring as last week’s episode.  

Leah finally giving Pope the throat punch he’s been asking for but I’m not fooled she’s on Daryl’s side here.  She’s always been on her own side.  

Look at Father G returning the favor for Maggie saving him in the tower.  Taking Deaver down!  Poor Deaver barely saw the light of day.  

Here comes that woman scorned part.  I can feel it.  

“Pope is dead.  Dixon murdered him.  He’s with the enemy.”  

Please, Angela.  I’m begging you.  Bring Carol into this story and ramp it the fuck up.  You been idling too damn long and the car is fast running outta gas.  

Bitch really has to die to framing Carol’s Pookie.  

Rosita and Lydia and Carol and Connie and Kelly and Magna have literally been holding up this damn show while Angela farts around with the Reapers bullshit.  Honorable mention goes to Aaron but these lovely, badass ladies been putting in the real work and not getting any of the glory.  You just know they’re tired AF.  

Not my babies Lydia and Judith being the cliffhanger!  Oh and Gracie.  Angela?!  A word.  

Listen.  Carol’s already done that fireworks trick.  That Reaper dude owes her royalties.  Granted, it was on a smaller scale but much more impressive for it because she was left to be the sharpshooter.  

Angela has a point.  It is kind of cool how Team Family have learned from their enemies and assimilated their useful points into their own cache of knowledge.  

I truly feel like the Leah/Reaper storyline would have benefitted from a much stronger actress.  Just saying.  

I know Judith annoys some with her precociousness but Cailey just keeps teeing off on what they give her and personally?  I feel she’s so very talented and light years beyond her little acting counterparts so it still works.  

“They’re never gonna choose each other over the people that they’ve loved and fought for because they simply cannot really trust each other.  There’s sort of, like a toxicity at the base of that relationship.”  Straight from Angela’s mouth.  

“At the end of the day, Daryl chose his family.”  Yeah, he did.  That “I belong with you” shit only happened when he felt they were all gone, including the one he loved above all others--Carol.  Fight me.  

Overall impression of the episode?  

On its own, disregarding how much I can’t help resenting how much time I feel has been “wasted” setting this story up, it was much more entertaining than Episode 7 which was only epic in that it was an epic bore.  There was still too much focus on the Reapers when I just just kept wanting to see what was happening at ASZ.  I mean, they cheated us out of Carol and Connie and Kelly working together. Of Aaron and Magna.  Call it personal preference coloring my opinions if you want, but the characters I care about feel like they’ve been shown the backseat for this self-indulgent exploration of Angela’s OC and her version of self-insert FF with Daryl Dixon.  If we can return to Team Family?  The whole Team Family and not just Maggie and Co. against the world?  You’ve got me.  If not?  Well.  You’ll keep losing me by degrees and you don’t want to do that on the final season.  

Anyway.  The ASZ parts were my favorites per usual.  The episode could have used a lot more of those.  

[dreams-got-dimmer]

New Girl Pt. 2 (Bolin x reader)

Okay here’s the thing I haven’t seen enough steamy Bolin fanfics yet and while I would rather be reading them, I thought maybe I’ll just write one and help out the others who desperately want to read about their fav thicc earth bender.

Summary: multiple part fic?? + AU kind of

(The reader is 18, Bolin is 18 and mako is 20)

Reader desperately needs a place to live and finds an advertisement for two brothers who need a roommate. Maybe more than just living arrangements may come out of this deal... (reader x Bolin) (slow burn)

Disclaimer: I’m changing the story from first person to second as it would make more sense to the reader. If I ever plan on doing POV for Bolin, which I want to it will be in third person. I know it’s a switch up, but I think the story will flow nicer using second and third opposed to using first

Word count: 2399

Warnings: slight angst?

PART 1 PART 3

“so uh, yeah, this is your room,” Bolin rubbed the back of his neck, “I know it’s not much, but hey it’s something right?” he started to fidget on the balls of his feet.

“So bashful, now are we?” you couldn’t help but notice Bolin’s nervousness now that you two were alone. Mako was only on his break when you had arrived and had to get back to work so he left Bolin to show you where everything was in the loft, especially your room. Red heat started to seep into Bolin’s cheeks at your words. As much as you wouldn’t have minded teasing him more you decided to save him the embarrassment.

“I’m just joking,” a small laugh escaped your lips, “I know how hard it can be to meet someone new, especially when you end up alone together,” started to walk around your new room taking in everything it had to offer, which wasn’t much. But that was the best part about it. It was simple and you could make it your own in no time. The poster wasn’t lying when it said the loft had a view of Air Temple Island. Even being a fire bender, watching the wave push and pull was always calming to you. You could see yourself spending hours just drinking in the sounds of the ocean. You turned back to Bolin and smiled, “You seem pretty outgoing, but I can understand how it can be easier to meet new people when your brother is around,” saying that reminded you of all the times you’ve been on your own meeting new people. Sure, it was going just fine now, but it hasn’t always been this way.

“Y-yeah of course, definitely because my brothers not around, heh,” Bolin went back to rubbing his neck. He didn’t do a great job at assuring you that his brothers’ absence was why he was nervous, but you weren’t going to pry. “Anyway, how do you like the loft. I hope it becomes your home as much as it became mine and Mako’s,” The warmth in Bolin’s cheeks finally started to fade as he smiled at you, “It’s better that I could have ever dreamed of,” you admitted. Your parents house was nothing too extravagant, but it was able to hold you and your family somewhat comfortably. The shelter did it’s best to be welcoming and you couldn’t be more grateful to have a warm place to stay, but it couldn’t beat what you were looking at now. Thinking of the shelter reminded you that there were still items of yours at the shelter. It wasn’t much, but you still didn’t want to leave them behind.

“Do you want to come with me to the shelter so I can pick up the rest of my things?” you changed the subject. Bolin seemed nice, but you weren’t too sure how willing he would be to help you with your things, “I would love to go!” he nearly shouted it, “Then you can tell me more about yourself and I can show you my favorite restaurant,” He broke out into the same smile you saw earlier when Mako agreed that you could move in. It was genuine and precious, and it made your stomach tie in a knot.

Bolin might singlehandedly be the sweetest and goofiest person you had ever met. He insisted on going out to eat first and as you both walked and made it his mission to keep you laughing. The nerves he had before were practically non-existent now. He told you all about pro-bending and even though you’ve been to matches and knew the rules you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything because of how enthused he was to talk to you about it. He even promised to bring you to practice and matches. And even though he was an earth bender he wanted to show you moves you could use in a match and maybe he could even get Mako to show you something too. You happily agreed to everything Bolin offered because 1. It did seem really fun and 2. You couldn’t wait to show Bolin what you were actually capable of with your bending. It’s not like he was trying to be rude, but maybe Bolin assumed you didn’t know how to do much since your parents restricted it. The thing is strict parents cause sneaky kids and you were the sneakiest of them all. You had been sneaking out since the young age of eight and you had learned a lot more than anybody even knew. So, maybe it was a good thing that your parents were that way. If they weren’t you may have never had the knowledge of bending that you have now.

Even though you were going to pick up your things the day was starting to feel like a date. Bolin had brought you to Narook’s, which he happily told you had the best noodles in all of Republic City then proceeded to eat three bowls to himself. You were beside yourself that you had never gone here before. Bolin wasn’t joking that these were the best noodles in all of Republic City and you almost wanted to get mad at him because he just introduced you to your newest money pit. It would be so worth it, though. Especially if you got to have days like this with Bolin. He even refused to let you pay no matter how hard you tried to get the waiter to take your money. If it was a date, you wouldn’t have been angry in the slightest. He was charming you by the second and the way his eyes would shift from jade to emerald within seconds did nothing to stop you from being lost in everything that Bolin was.

The sugary sweet feeling you had in your chest soon turned sour. The feeling wasn’t even caused by the two of you facing the shelter it was what Bolin said that made your insides curdle and all the happiness of the day went numb.

“I can’t wait to introduce you to Korra! She’s the avatar and everything about her is amazing,” he looked at you with lovesick eyes and it made you wish that you were Korra, “She’s beautiful and talented and she’s even on the Fire Ferrets with me and Mako,” a blush crept back onto Bolin’s face and you wanted more than anything that it was you who was making him blush. You wanted to slap yourself in the face for thinking this way. You just met him. He wasn’t anything to you. You tried not to think about how he himself helped you have the best day you’ve had in years, maybe in your life. You’ve been with guys, but none of them have ever made you feel this happy, especially within the first hours of meeting and you and Bolin hadn’t even kissed. You weren’t about to let some boy you just met control your emotions like this, even if he was impossibly adorable.

“I’m thinking of asking her out. I’m just so nervous,” Bolin confessed as he began rubbing the back of his neck, which was oddly attractive by the way. No, stop you can’t keep thinking like that. You tried your best to shake away any thoughts of jealously and the minute attraction you had for the earth bender, “you’re a girl, what would be the ideal date for you?” He pleaded as his lip jutted out into a pout. You gulped. If it wasn’t bad enough that you misread this day so far, this day was the best answer you could give him. Scraping together every ounce of courage you had, you decided to be honest, “My ideal date,” you pretended to muse even though you didn’t even have to utter a single thought to know what it would be, “Honestly just do what you did today and I’m positive she’ll love it,” you breathed out as Bolin’s eyes widen. That was enough honesty for the day. You looked away from him quickly trying to ignore his lips parting.

“We should go get my stuff now,” you shrugged, “There’s not much anyway, so it should be easy,” you didn’t wait for his answer as you rushed into the shelter. Bolin trailed in moments after you and you kept your head down not wanting to talk to him yet. Maybe you just ruined whatever friendship you had with Bolin by telling him the truth. Your thoughts came to a halt as you crashed into something, actually someone.

“Spirits I’m sorry,” you sputtered looking up. You eased when you saw it was just Anzu one of the volunteers at the shelter. Not only that, she also had become one of your close friends during this month stay. The two of you were complete opposites and it was hard to understand how the two of you clicked so well. She was everything you weren’t.  She was perfection and grace. Anzu embodied everything that was ethereal. She was golden and her strawberry blonde hair flowed in a way that made it seem like she was underwater. Anzu grabbed your arms to steady the two of you and began to smile.

“Always so clumsy,” Her laugh tinkled in your ears, “and who is this?” curiosity lined her voice as her eyes shifted to look at Bolin.

“shut it Anzu I am not,” you grumbled crossing your arms, “And this is Bolin he’s my new roommate along with his brother Mako,” happiness spread through you again, “Bolin this is Anzu she’s my best friend, but she also volunteers here,” You motioned between the two and Bolin waved enthusiastically. “No way!” Anzu exclaimed, “You found a place to stay?!” She grabbed a hold of you nearly shaking you, “I’m so so so happy for you. I’m going to miss you, though,” She frowned a bit pulling me into a hug, “Please visit all the time, how am I going to stay sane without you?” you pulled away from each other.

It was a bittersweet feeling because Anzu was right. She had made staying at the shelter bearable and not only that, she had gotten you out trouble too many times to count. She’s even responsible for you being able to stay at the shelter even though you burnt part of the living quarters down out of anger and frustration when you first showed up.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to survive, but I’ll make sure to visit as often as I can,” you assured her.

You both hugged again not really wanting the moment to end, “I’ll let you two get your things, It was nice meeting you Bolin, I hope to see more of you soon,” Anzu breathed out as she glided away down the hall.

You started down the hall thinking about how much you were actually going to miss not seeing Anzu every day. “what happened here?” Bolin stood wide eyed as you approached your room and you didn’t even have to look at what it was, “I did that,” you muttered, glancing at the burnt hallway. Your parents had the audacity to show up at the shelter after a week of staying there. They had more to say about what a horrible monster you were. How they wished you were never born. It was a disgrace to them that a bender was born into their family. The staff was kind enough to force them out of the building, but it only did so much to aid your already broken heart. That interaction was the last straw for you and it precedented the substantial breakdown that caused the burning of half of the bedrooms. No would could get close to you no even Anzu. You had no idea what to feel. It was too much the hate, frustration, and brokenness of it all. It caught up to you and the only outlet you could use was destruction. The next day you apologized profusely to everyone at the shelter and promised that once you started making steady money you would help pay to rebuild that section of the quarters.

“You,” he paused, “Did that?” Bolin was in utter disbelief. You were desensitized to the area having to look at it for the past weeks, his words made you look at it with fresh eyes. There was no denying that it was a gruesome sight. Most of the walls were charred through and there were tarps to keep the outside elements from getting in. All the furniture was pretty much disintegrated and looking at it too long just made your stomach sick, “can we just get my things?” you pleaded feeling small, “I don’t really want to talk about it,”.  You pushed your door open and before you could take a look for the last time at the place you had been staying, Bolin pulled you into a hug. He bowed his head into the crook of your neck and let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry for whatever happened,” He drew back and looked at you earnestly, “Me too,” his hug felt like warmth and hot tea on a bad day. He was surprisingly gentle for how muscled he was and even if you didn’t want it to end you plastered a smile on your face, “Let’s get my things so we can get the hell out of here,” You motioned towards you room. It didn’t take long to gather your extra clothes and odds and ends and before you knew it you were spending your first night in the loft. You looked out at the ocean and let the sounds of the tide help you mull over what happened during the day. You were able to close a chapter in your life that you didn’t think was going to end and as for Bolin he was your roommate and hopefully friend and you weren’t going to jeopardize that just because there was some semblance of attraction for him. Besides, he seemed to really like Korra and that’s what mattered, not the inconsequential feelings you might have for Bolin. You were sure you’d wake up in the morning and the tiny crush would dissipate, for you had bigger things to worry about, like finding a job and actually making friends with Bolin and Mako instead of pining over them.

-------

a/n: wow guys I'm amazed at myself that I have written this much. But if you have made it this far thank you! I wanted to do a slow burn for this fic and it’s actually a lot harder than I thought, but I am trying my best. I’ve never really wrote fiction before so if you guys have any advice on how to improve my writing, please let me know! again thank you so much for reading this far (: I hope to see you again soon 

-S

Taglist:

​ @yellowoctvber @doubtedbus409

[bowieandqueen11]

You’re An Idiot / Richie Tozier Fluff

Request: I loved "I'm an Idiot." It's super sweet and reads like the ending of a 90's/00's teen movie. I was wondering if you could write a Part Two that's set during Chapter Two? Where they re-unite either at the Jade of the Orient or they run into each other a little earlier while on their way to the restaurant? All fluff and hugs and happy tears? 

YOU ARE THE SWEETEST LITTLE BEAN @trench-coat-wearing-angel!! <3</b>

I hope you don’t mind I kind of flipped the tone around for the second, adult part! I just thought they both fitted the tones of the movies!

Warning, some strong language!

The sun had seemed to disappear in Derry.

Richard Tozier never thought people truly were themselves. To him, people were just fragments of others. Of people that they loved. And when they had finally all gone, and nothing was left to hold all the pieces up, they shattered and left you only broken inside.

He wish he could remember who had broken him.

When he had first gotten the call to come back home to Derry, his immediate response was to throw up. He wish, more than anything, he could pin down the reason why. Was it the fact he had spent hours driving in his convertible to a town he could not remember, or was it the memory of who had left him there that hurt the most.

When it had finally clicked, when he had finally remembered, he wished it had been the former.

Cursing, he made himself drag his feet across the frozen pavement and back towards the middle of town, where the Jade of the Orient stood proudly as a beacon to the Losers. Thoughts returning, swirling still in his mind, of his first crush, his first love, he knocked his glasses back up the bridge of his nose clumsily as he pondered at the ground.

‘Get it together, Rich. Even if you still love her, she won’t remember you.’

Other than the darkness, and himself, the only thing that seemed to be alive in this deserted main street was the biting wind that made him pull his leather jacket tighter around his shoulders. Shuddering to himself, his blood ran cold in his veins under the nonexistent stars and puffs of steel gray. He tried to take his mind off things, off of you, by thinking of how Eddie Spaghetti is probably pacing around the restaurant right now listing all the reasons, in alphabetical order, the place was a fire risk. 

There was just something about the night that scared him, left him feeling breathless despite how much he thought about his long lost, but long loved friends. The balls of cotton streamed ash and soot above him, blanketing the cold night and hiding the moon, no matter how desperately it fought to shine out on him. The clouds just smothered the light, bathing the tiny dot in Maine in an ominous feel.

Little did he know, as he was trying to pull his heart from his mouth and stop himself from getting hurt again by thinking of you, that you were nearby. He walked onto the edge of the pavement, the red and green neon lights of the Jade glowing warmly on his fearful face as he reached for the door.

He dropped it suddenly, the weight of everything he lost suddenly coming crashing down on him. In that moment, he looked so old, an unrecognisable version of his childhood self. 

‘Richard... Richie Tozier?’

You step out from the shadows, hovering around the nearby streetlight as Richie whips himself out of his daydreams to turn towards the noise.

‘Yeah - what- I’m kind of busy, at the moment.’

‘It’s me, Y/n. God, it’s been so long. Twenty four years in fact.’

Suddenly, Richie’s defences are just paper, paper that is being soaked by the rapidly falling briny drops. Before he can draw in the air his body needs he has rushed over and melted into your form, covering you in his shaking frame. His arms fold around you as you shut your eyes, drawing you closer into his warmth. He tries to rub his tears quickly away with his thumb, trying to stop himself from crying for all the missed time the two of you will never get back.

Pulling back, for just a moment, he can’t seem to let you go. His hands are running up and down your arms, as if he can't quite believe you’re not part of an almost forgotten dream. Suddenly, he seems to realise himself, and takes a heaving step back, eyes back on his feet.  

‘I can’t believe you’re really here’, he swallowed harshly, trying to figure out if he should stuff his hands back into his pockets or leave them awkwardly dangling by his side.

Instead, he did something he hadn’t done since he was a teenager. He began to hop a bit from side to side.

‘Still the same Trashmouth I see.’

‘And you’re still as beautiful as ever - I mean - I, fuck!’

You chuckle lightly, the sound making him relax, his heart melting a bit at the noise.

‘It’s okay, Rich - I should have got in contact sooner, I’m so sorry. It’s just college, and then you made it big and once I saw you on TV I got scared you wouldn’t want me or remember me-’

‘You- you remembered me?’

You bit your bottom lip, eyes roaming everywhere but on Richie’s face, the hope in his eyes and the drop of his jaw too likely to make you cry.

‘Of course... how could I forget the dork who came professing his love for me at my windowsill.’

‘...If you like, I could do it again.’

‘Do what?’

‘I still love you, Y/n. I always have - God I’m so stupid! Why did I ever let you leave!’

To shut him up, and stop him spiralling, you rush over to him and pull him down by the neck. His cold lips brush against yours, nearly tripping over your feet as you pull him into your touch. Placing your hand gently on his chest, you sigh into his mouth as you feel the thunderous, rapid pounding of his heartbeat against your fingertips.

Pulling back, a mixture of both shock and awe settles in his eyes as the two of you just stare at each other, frozen breaths mingling into one.  Unable to stop himself, he stooped, and our mouths pressed together again in a long, passionate kiss, closing the gap between the two of you until you couldn’t figure out where he ended and you began.

When the two of you finally pulled apart, you were surprised to find a pair of tears racing down his stubbled cheeks. You gently cupped down, rubbing them off before pressing a warm kiss against his skin, noting how he closed his eyes in bliss.

‘You’re an idiot, Richie Tozier.’

‘Yeah, well I’m your idiot.’

‘And I’m never letting myself leave you again.’

[bowl-of-shortness]

Vacuo Trip!

“Arriving in Bishop Vacuo. Remember to grab all your things as Atlesian Airlines is not responsible for any lost items on the plane, thank you for flying with us!” The speaker rang out, waking Mellow up from their not-so-comfortable nap. “Ugggghhhhh” Who knew that flying from Atlas all the way to Vacuo was going to be so miserable. “What an easy, 13 hour flight over” Mellow groaned, irritated. “I thought you’d be happy to be here, it’s your home country and you two have talked so highly of it.” They turned around to see Jade looking at them, confused. Behind her was Ochre and Birdie unpacking team BOMZ’s stuff, Ochre looked over, “Mellow’s just tired and hungry, once they get some food they should be back to normal.”.

As the team walked out of the very nicely air-conditioned plane, the heat hit. “When you said it was hot I didn’t realize you meant like this.” Birdie complained. “Ah come on it’s not that bad! Keep in mind you’re still wearing your Atlas clothes so once you change it’ll be all better!” Ochre laughed.

Once they got off the plane, BOMZ set off into the city to go to the place they’d be staying. Birdie suddenly looked around where they were before saying “Hey wait where are we staying?” Jade looked at Birdie with a concerned expression, “I thought you booked a hotel?” “Nope. I thought you did.” There was silence for a moment. “Do we not have a place to stay?” The two started panic before Mellow spoke up, “Relax, We’re gonna be staying with some of our family. There’s plenty of rooms for everyone.” Jade gave a suspicious look, “And this person is?” “Our dad!” Ochre popped up excitedly.

Birdie and Jade exchanged confused looks, sure the twins had spoken about their dad before but not enough for them to get a good idea of who this guy was. Soon the 4 arrived at a small shop with a house on top. Mellow excitedly ran up to the door and knocked. When the door opened a man stood in its doorway. He smiled at the twins before looking at Birdie and Jade almost accusingly. The twins quickly spoke in Vacuan to the man and he seemed relieved when they were done talking and invited BOMZ in. “Sorry to scare you,” the man says as he walks behind the counter of the register area. “I didn’t know who you two were when I had seen you, those two,” he points to Mellow and Ochre “Explained that you both on their team. Anyways, it’s nice to meet you two, my name is Steel.” He smiled.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Jade smiled and shook hands with him as Birdie did the same. “I’m Jade and this is Birdie.”. “Wait where did—.“ Birdie looked around the shop not seeing Ochre or Mellow anyone, Steel laughed “Ah they have a tendency to do that when they’re here! They’re probably up in their rooms. Which are up those stairs, we have a few extra rooms so feel free to make yourselves comfortable.” He pointed to the stairs on the opposite side of the shop. “Thank you for letting us stay here.” Jade said relieved, “Hey both of them said that you two have been real nice to them so I’m perfectly fine with you two staying here if that’s true.” Steel said.

They walked upstairs and found Mellow practically crying out of happiness while eating a granola bar, Ochre soon walked over to the two. “What did I tell you? They just needed some food.” They all snickered at the comment. “Well I’m SORRY that my body just decides to make me absolutely miserable when I’m hungry.” Mellow spoke into the bed as BOZ laughed. “Here I can show you guys the separate rooms.” Ochre led them down the hallway to two nice looking rooms, “These are the guest rooms, you don’t need to worry about doing any cleaning, Dad gets a little paranoid if these rooms aren’t kept clean so he cleans them consistently.” Ochre laughed rubbing the back of their head. “I like it! It’s really nice. Everything here is really nice. Especially your dad.” Jade smiled while unpacking. Ochre looked down for a moment “Yeah he is, I’m really glad he was the one who took us in and not someone else. We got really lucky.”.

——————————————————————————

“Get up fellas we’re going to dinner!” Mellow yelled, scaring everyone awake from their naps. “Jeez, c’mon can’t I sleep a bit longer?” Ochre whined “Nope because if I let you sleep you won’t eat dinner.” Mellow said rolling their eyes as Ochre glared, half of their face still in the pillow.

After everyone had gotten changed BOMZ left to go get something to eat. The 4 walked around for a bit, Mellow and Ochre pointing out places they had been and telling stories about those places.

“So Ochre where should we go for dinner? There are a ton of good places around the shopping district but I’m not sure which one we should go to.” Mellow asked excitedly. Ochre thought for a moment and then whispered to Mellow, Mellow nodded “C’mon! You two have gotta be quicker than that!”, Mellow then started running down the sidewalk. “Mellow wait!” Jade yelled as BOZ ran after Mellow until they got to a brick building with neon letters. “The Dune Diner?” Birdie questioned, “THIS is where we’re having dinner and it’s really good so don’t worry!” Ochre gave them a thumbs up.

The minute the twins got inside their faces lit up, “This place has always been one of those places in Vacuo that never changes” Ochre smiled. The team sits down in a booth and they start talking, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two so excited to be in a restaurant” Birdie laughed, “Well what can we say? This place has a lot of awesome memories.” Ochre snickered. Jade raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Is that a story I hear coming up? What makes this place so special?” Jade looked around as she spoke. “Well then let me tell you a story about our first day with Steel.” Ochre began.

“In order to tell that story, let me tell you how we met him in the first place. Originally Steel didn’t, well, ‘legally’, adopt us. Mellow and I stayed in a shady orphanage in a shady part of town so Steel, who was still a hunter at that point, was there on a mission to bust some dust smugglers. He ended up going into the orphanage to interrogate the people who owned it in case they were involved and saw Mellow and I all beat up. He asked if he could take us but when the orphanage owners looked at his information, they said no.”

“What why?! He seemed like awesome guy!” Jade said confused.

Mellow sighed, “For a really dumb reason. Because it was a shady town, nobody trusted hunters of any kind. When they saw he was a hunter, they said no.”

Birdie scoffed, “That’s BS, if they knew he was a good person and could take care of you two they should’ve let him take you guys.”, “So what did he do instead?” Jade inquired.

“Well he kinda took us at night, during that day he managed to gain our trust and we really liked him. Mellow and I would’ve done ANYTHING to get out of that orphanage and so we went with him. He got in trouble with his boss but when he explained why he did that he was miraculously let off without punishment! He was then given the papers to adopt us and the rest is history!” Ochre smiled excitedly.

The others smiled as well. “But I haven’t told you guys the story of Mellow and I’s first day with him.”

“Do tell, I’m interested to hear what mischief you two got up to that day” Jade said sarcastically, “HEY!” Mellow looked at Jade, acting fake hurt as they scoffed.

“ANYWAYS. The first day was actually on the day of the Desert Festival. So there was a lot going on and a lot to do! He first took us shopping to get some better clothes, we found a ton of fun clothes to wear that day. Afterwards we went to a restaurant which was this one! We had gotten a lot of food and had eaten a good portion of it since we hadn’t eaten well in a while, we did take a lot of it home afterwards though. Later we went out to the festival grounds and played a ton of games with Steel, looking back now Steel probably let us win a lot of those but hey! It was still fun. Once we got home Mellow and I were in awe at the place we would be staying at and immediately started running around and playing with each other. We did that for a while before Steel called us over and led us to the rooftop of the building.” Ochre expressed, reminiscing.

Ochre sighed, “Mellow and I to this day say it was the coolest thing ever.”

“It was! We had never seen them before!” Mellow exclaimed.

“So what was it? That you saw?” Birdie questioned curiously, “Fireworks. At first we were spooked because of how loud they were! We clutched onto Steel immediately because we didn’t know what the noise was until he told us to turn around. When we did we saw these gorgeous colors that were appearing in the sky at random and we ran to the ledge of the railing to look. I’ll never forget how cool that was.”

Jade looked amazed, “Wow I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt, seeing something like that for the first time.”. Ochre laughed before leaning back in the booth, “Yeah Vacuo is pretty great” Mellow looked over.

“Yeah but Vale is too. We’ve got a ton of great memories in Vale as well.” Mellow smiled widely, “I think we’ve all got some good memories in Vale.” Birdie added.

“Yeah maybe for YOU ALL, I had to stop Mellow from jumping off the Beacon tower once!”, “YOU SAID YOU WEREN’T GONNA HOLD THAT AGAINST ME!” Mellow yelled being over dramatic. BOZ laughed.

The night ended in a lot of jokes, stories, laughs, and a whole lot of team fun.

——————————————————————————

This was a ton of fun! I hope I got everyone’s characters on point. If I didn’t I’m sorry 😞

Anyways characters belong to:

Bird: @immortal-green-snom

Ochre: @otterdoesart

Mellow: Me!

Jade: @zacs-of-rwby

[afoolandathief]

Word find tag catch-up

Catching up on my tag games, so here we go -

I got a few tags and some of these excerpts are pretty long, so I'm putting these below the cut:

TWs for swearing, food and drink, alcohol, blood, needles, vomit, death and violence, mentions of sex, and a slight reference to body image:

Tagged by @thegreatobsesso to find shine, shade, trust, and life:

Shine

“You should try exercising, Caz,” she said, switching to her other arm. “You’re not going to stay young and thin forever.”

“Believe me, Amelia,” he replied from underneath the blanket. “My body is not going to change much for a very long time.”

“Well, it may help that you don’t eat anything.”

He poked his head out from the blanket.

“I eat,” he said.

“I never see you eating, Caz.”

He grinned.

“Well, I guess that’s because, when I’m with you, I’m only hungry for -”

“If you say you’re only hungry for me — or a certain part of my body — I’m going to kick you,” she cut in. “Anyway, I should be back in at most 30 minutes. Hopefully it’ll be sub-20.”

“Enjoy the sunshine,” he said, ducking back under the blanket and falling asleep.

Shade

“Juni,” Caz said weakly. “Didn’t think I’d see you again tonight. Back for more?”

“I’ve had my fill,” the prince said.

“You sure about that?”

“Where is it, you bloodsucker?” Juniper demanded while turning a shade of emerald.

“Um, where is what?”

“Don’t play dumb, it’s not that cute.” The prince gritted his teeth and continued, “Where is the armband?”

Trust

“You’re a vegetarian?” Jade asked.

“Yeah, always a little weird growing up on a farm and not eating meat, I suppose.”

“I don’t know why people would care, but then, I’m used to people with weird diets,” Jade swallowed. “Not that I think your diet is weird!”

Violet laughed her tinkling laugh again. “You’re fine.”

“Is it bad if I still order the chicken panini?”

“Not at all. Though I’m sure all those chickens that died might mind,” Violet stared at Jade.

Jade didn’t say anything for a moment. “Oh shit," she finally said. “You’re messing with me again.”

“Yup," Violet grinned. She handed Jade a sandwich wrapped in wax paper. “You want to try our mango juice with that? Grew the mangoes myself.”

“You’re messing with me again, you can’t grow mangoes here,” Jade said.

“I have a greenhouse.”

“Still, you couldn’t easily grow a mango tree.”

“Trust me, I can grow anything,” Violet said, her eyes flashing the same way they had the other night. She poured a pitcher of the bright orange liquid into a plastic cup and handed it to Jade.

Jade took a sip. “Good as always. Which reminds me, I still owe you for the lemonade.”

“Consider that paid for by keeping me company, if only for a short while. In fact, consider it the same today.”

Life

She turned her keys in the ignition. The engine sputtered, but refused to start.

“With double the pay, you could save up for a truck that’s not a piece of shit,” Caz retorted.

Jade turned the keys again, this time revving the gas until the engine roared to life.

“This is a good truck,” she said. “I just need new spark plugs.”

Tagged by @pertinax--loculos to find travel, needle, depth, weather and save:

Travel

Marie and Caz were huddled around a phonogram.

“I can’t believe you have a recording of Buddy Bolden,” Caz said. “I thought there were none left.”

“I managed to hold onto a few records after I left New Orleans,” Marie said.

“So you were in New Orleans right when jazz was taking off?” Caz asked. “Wow, I should’ve come to America a lot sooner than when I did. I didn’t get to New York until about 20 years after Bolden was around.”

“You were in New York during the heyday of jazz,” Marie said. “Not to mention where a lot of great minds were meeting then. I wish I had been there.”

“I figured you would have traveled there yourself.”

“Well, I stayed in Haiti for a bit after the revolution,” Marie said. “But I went to Florida to help the Seminoles in their fight a little while after, and then New Orleans. I just kept traveling around the south and west after that.”

“I’ve never been to Haiti, actually,” Caz remarked. “The closest was when I went to Cuba a few times for, uh, work reasons.”

“It’s a beautiful island,” Marie said. “I miss it a lot.”

“You grew up there?”

“I did.”

“How old are you exactly, if you mind me asking?”

“Just about 250 years old.”

“Ha! I’ve got you beat by about 350 years,” Caz said. He rubbed his neck, narrowly missing a hanging plant with his elbow. “Um, guess that’s not really something to brag about.”

“Well, you are blessed with being forever young,” Marie smiled softly. “Witches eventually do age, albeit slowly, myself included.”

“True,” Caz sighed.

Needle

“You’ll sleep upstairs with the other girls, but let’s get you outfitted first. I’m interested in trying a sample of you myself.”

Renner tied off her left elbow and began searching her arm for a vein.

Jade felt the sting of the needle and looked down to see it attached to a vial not too different than the one that had been sticking out of Arravich’s arm in the hospital. Renner attached a long winding tube to it, placing the end of it in a wine glass. He pushed down on the vial, sending a dark red stream through the tube into the glass.

“Just a small amount, Renner,” Valfierno said. “I don’t want to overindulge.”

He began to take a sip just as a knock was heard at the door.

“Go ahead, Renner, I’m curious to see who would be at our door at this hour.”

Renner opened the door to reveal a shocked-looking Caz.

Depth

“What was up with you and that one kid, anyway?”

Jade realized Caz was talking to her.

“Who, Matt?” she asked.

“I mean, he was alright to look at, but,” Caz paused to hiccup. “He had the depth of a — what do you call it in English? — ah, right, the depth of a tide pool.”

Jade tried to track Caz in the mirror, but he had leaned down to slurp loudly from Derek’s neck.

“I just figured,” he continued, getting up to lean against Jade’s seat like he was maneuvering on a ship at sea. “That you preferred someone with a little more class and maturity.”

He proceeded to belch almost directly in Jade’s ear.

“‘Scuse me,” he said in a swinging tone. Then, as if realizing the irony, he burst into high-pitched laughter as he fell back into his seat.

“What is wrong with you?” Jade snapped. She wrinkled her nose at the acetone scent on Caz’s breath. “Are you — are you drunk?”

“No, I’m just,” Caz paused long enough to answer Jade’s question. “I’m just a little bit buzzed.”

Weather

In his six-hundred-and-seventeenth year of being on this earth, Casimir Jozef Mraz had come to a realization.

He was absolutely, hopelessly in love.

Of course, Caz fell in love at least once every decade. But this time was different, he thought, as he lay in bed, not used to trying to sleep at night. It had to be; he couldn’t find a damned thing wrong with this girl, even her name.

Amelia.

It was old-fashioned, and he liked that. Speaking it felt warm and familiar on his lips.

Lying next to him, Amelia’s eyelids fluttered for a moment, before going still as her breathing evened out and she fell even deeper into sleep. Caz heard her heartbeat slow to steady rhythm.

He leaned closer, cradling his arm around her, taking care not to catch the gold strands of hair that seemed to change texture with the weather, curling up in wiry spirals.

Caz watched a shadow falling across her ski-jump nose twist and morph as she shifted slightly. She looked almost like porcelain now, blue veins painted on her neck and chest like delft tile. She sighed again in her sleep.

So many people he had been with had wound up dead or forgotten over the years. Caz was determined this time would be different.

Save

Jade had gotten herself lost in a thought, again.

Usually this occurred when she was at her kitchen table, trying to piece together a spell; or when she took apart her laptop so it no longer sounded like a jet engine. It wasn’t supposed to involve Jade charging forward into the next room of a crowded party, ignoring all instincts to run outside and take a deep breath of cool night air.

Maybe it was hearing that someone else could get hurt. But that didn’t make any sense. Don’t try to save the world. Just focus on the next step in surviving. That was what she lived by.

No, she realized. For the first time in a long while, Jade was actually afraid.

Tagged by @diphthongsfordays to find space, scream, soft and scare:

Space

He jumped to his feet and ran towards the space between Jade and the alleyway.

Then he was falling to his knees and dry heaving.

“What the hell?” he gasped. He looked around at a circle of white surrounding him, a series of sigils carved into it by Jade’s knife. “What is this?”

“Table salt,” she said. “Combined with a few wards. Vampires are pretty susceptible to threshold magic, aren’t they?”

Caz choked back some bile and rose unsteadily to his feet.

Scream

“Lila, you seem to have calmed down a bit,” Caz said, stroking an ear larger than his hand.

He held the wolf back by the nape of her neck and leaned towards the other vampire.

“Sai cosa, Giuseppe? Non avevi torto riguardo alla tua supposizione,” he said, a small, wicked smile playing on his lips.

He released his grip on Lila.

“Ma devi capire quanto fosse stupido ferirla se mi sentivo in quel modo.”

Caz walked away from the alley, a strange and familiar feeling of satisfaction growing in the pit of his stomach as he heard Valfierno’s screams behind him increase in pitch and desperation. It was a sensation he hadn’t come across in years, and it felt good. He looked up at the full yellow moon and grinned, his teeth flashing in the light.

Soft

She looked up at Violet.

“Do you think we could each carry one of them?”

“If you can maintain a levitation spell for the whole length of the walk back,” she replied. “But your arm looks pretty bad, Jade.”

“Hmm,” Jade furrowed her brow. “I vote we leave Amelia.”

“No,” Caz whined softly into the stone. “Don’t leave my girlfriend behind.”

“Caz you’re currently bleeding out from where she carved into you. I don’t think she’s your girlfriend anymore.”

Scare

She was getting closer to him. Caz could smell that scrape still bleeding from her wrist. He was already faint from hunger. He needed to get her out of here.

The best method, he decided, was to scare her.

“So what if I am?” he asked, before smiling his widest and sharpest smile. “And if I am, may I remind you you’re currently backed into a corner by someone much stronger and faster than you, Jade?”

Mistake. You made a mistake, you fool.

He knew it as soon as the words left his lips. Don’t ever piss off a witch. His left ankle left the ground first, carried upward by a root looping around it, followed by his right.

Tagging, if you'd like: @drippingmoon, @authortango, @author-a-holmes, @avian-writes & @faelanvance to find calm, lake, ivory & estimate.

[wonkasmissstarshine]

The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}

Chapter 6

Lady Scarlett Beauregarde

Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche​ @ariwonka2004​

When Willy and Daniel arrived to the castle, they couldn’t help but notice the carriage that had pulled up. The carriage itself was big, blue, and sparkling. Overall, it just had a loud personality and it told you all you needed to know about who it was carrying inside of it. 

“It seems that Lady Scarlett has arrived” Daniel said.

“Yeah” Willy grimaced. He was not looking forward to meeting the high class princess. Some ladies stepped out of the carriage first. None of them seemed to be Lady Scarlett, but rather her ladies-in-wearing. The three of them were wearing matching blue dresses and they all wore masks. But it wasn’t just masks covering the eyes. No, they wore full face masks.

“Those would be Lady Scarlett’s ladies-in-waiting” Daniel informed. He had read up on Lady Scarlett to prepare for her visit. He knew more about her than he wished to. “She makes them wear masks because she doesn’t want any other woman’s beauty outshining hers”

Willy snorted in amusement at that. “She mustn’t be that pretty then. Not if she has to make all the other ladies hide their face”

“No, no. Lady Scarlett is beautiful” Daniel countered. “She’s described as having been gifted with Aphrodite’s beauty. Wherever she goes, men fall at her feet”

Willy opened his mouth to respond, but a different voice called out. “Son! There you are!” King Wilbur approached his son, with members of the royal court behind him. “Where have you been!? You know Lady Scarlett was to arrive today!”

“That’s exactly why I wasn’t here” Willy retorted. 

Wilbur just sighed and shook his head. “No matter. You’re here now. Come and meet your wife-to-be”

Willy didn’t have it in him right now to argue his way out of it. Instead, he trailed behind his father, following him to the carriage. “Ah! King Wilbur! Prince Willy!” An older gentleman standing beside the carriage greeted. “I am Beryl, Lady Scarlett’s trusted advisor”

“We are very honored to have you and Lady Scarlett here, Beryl” Wilbur said.

“The pleasure is all Scarlett’s” Beryl chuckled. “May I introduce Lady Scarlett’s ladies-in-waiting. Jade, Mauve, and Sienna” The ladies bowed as they were introduced. The sound of a throat clearing could be heard from inside the carriage. Beryl sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. He quickly smiled, hoping that no one caught onto it. Wilbur didn’t, but Willy did. “And, lastly but certainly not least, may I introduce her grace, Lady Scarlett Beauregarde of Champonia”

And there she was. Lady Scarlett Beauregarde. She stepped out of the carriage. You could tell just by looking at her she was high class. She wore a ruffled, silky blue dress. Her hair was pinned up in curls, secured in place by the jeweled tiara on her head. And her face was just caked in makeup.

This was the Princess that made men fall to their knees? This was the Princess who was gifted with Aphrodite’s beauty?

Well, clearly there was a mix up and Aphrodite’s beauty was gifted to someone else by mistake. Because Willy was not falling to his knees for this woman.

“Prince Willy” Scarlett batted her eyelashes at him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I knew you were handsome, but I wasn’t expecting such an Adonis”

Willy had to force a smile. “Thank you, Lady Scarlett” 

Scarlett kept smiling at him. She held out her hand. It hovered in front of Willy’s face. He just glanced at it. What was she expecting him to do? The smile from Scarlett’s face quickly dropped and was replaced with an annoyed expression. She cleared her throat again.

“Son! Kiss her hand!” Wilbur urged in a harsh whisper.

He didn’t even want to touch her hand. Forcing another smile, Willy took Scarlett’s hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed it and had to keep himself from retching. 

Scarlett seemed please though, for when she pulled her hand back, her smile was back. But something that caught her attention made her smile turn into a scowl. “Beryl!”

“Y-yes, Lady Scarlett?” Beryl seemed nervous of her.

“I had clear instructions. Any woman that is present should be wearing a mask. Why are they not wearing masks!?” Scarlett demanded. She pointed at the few women that were members of the royal court. “Get them masked immediately!”

“Yes, my lady” Beryl said. 

“Well, you heard what she said” Wilbur said, addressing the female members of the court. “Go get fitted for masks, and spread the news to every female member of staff”

All the ladies looked at each other with bewildered looks. Sure, there was such a thing as accommodation for guests, but for Lady Scarlett to order them like that? She wasn’t even their queen yet, but she was already acting like it. Still, they knew better to argue so they went to do what was asked of their king.

“Apologies about that, Lady Scarlett” Wilbur quickly apologized. “The message must have gotten lost”

Scarlett smiled again. It was clear that was her ‘I’m pleased’ smile. “It’s alright. Consider this their first warning. But, if I see one lady who is unmasked, I expect some punishment”

Willy’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Punishment? For any woman not wearing a mask? All because she’s a little self-conscious? This lady was crazy. And Willy was stuck marrying her.

Yay.

“Daniel, I can’t marry her!” Willy ranted to Daniel. The two of them retreated to Willy’s secret chocolate room. At least they had privacy in here. “She’s a nightmare! And whoever first described her as having Aphrodite’s beauty is clearly blind!”

“It’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?” Daniel mused. “She wants every woman within vicinity of her to wear a mask, yet she wears one herself”

“Huh?”

“Did you see how much makeup she was wearing? Seriously, you could spot her face from miles away! It’s so bright!” 

Willy sighed, taking a seat, and running a hand through his hair. “Is there anything I can do to get out of this?”

“Well, your father did say that because you weren’t picking a wife, he picked one for you” 

“Where are you going with this, Daniel?”

“Maybe if you told him that there was someone else you were in love with, maybe the King would change his mind about you marrying Lady Scarlett”

Willy considered it. It was a good idea, in theory. But there was just one problem with that. “I’m not in love with anyone, Daniel”

“I know. But maybe just tell your father. Maybe he’ll believe it”

“What if he wants to meet her?”

Daniel chewed on his bottom lip in thought. “You’ve met Priscilla, right? The pretty girl from the bakery?” 

“Yes” Willy nodded. “She seems nice and she is pretty, but I’m not in love with her”

“No, but I am” Daniel whispered that part to himself. “I’m suggesting that if your father were to insist on meeting the one you were in love with, maybe see if Priscilla would be willing to play the part”

“Daniel, I’m no good with feelings, but I can see just from the way you talk about her, that you feel something for her. I don’t want--”

“It’s okay” Daniel said. “I know it wouldn’t be real. Besides, if we don’t do it this way. There is only one other option”

“Which is?”

“We’d have to murder Lady Scarlett” 

Willy’s eyes widened with shock. He was surprised to hear Daniel of all people suggest such a thing. “I may not be able to stand the wretched woman, but I am not resorting to such an avenue”

“You’re right. That’s too far” Daniel said. He was quiet for a moment. It was clear he was still pondering the idea. “But, we could make it look like an accident. Maybe slip something in her tea...”

“No!” 

“Okay, okay” Daniel held up his hands defensively. “I’ll stop. We’ll go with the ‘you’re already in love with someone plan’”

“I just hope for the love of chocolate that it works” Willy prayed.

This was the best plan he had for now. Hopefully his father would fall for it. But, if he didn’t...then maybe he would have to resort to getting rid of Lady Scarlett in some other way. Would Willy be able to do it? He hoped he would never have to find out.

[goth-surana]

Hope and Hopelessness Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of 5 

Main pairing: Anders/Male Hawke

Main tags: Angst with a happy ending, tranquil!Anders, cure for tranquility

Summary: After some time on the run with Hawke, Anders is caught and made tranquil. Hawke cannot bring himself to kill him, instead chasing a distant hope that there may be a cure.

Read on AO3 or below the cut

They made it to Amaranthine, and Hawke followed the instructions Varric left for contacting the Hero of Ferelden. It was a drop location where he could leave a note. He hoped what he wrote made it clear that Anders was in need of help without mentioning him by name. Hawke had Anders recount a memory shared only between the two of them, hopefully that would convince her

And so Hawke waited in the woods at the location he left in the note, slightly outside the city boundaries. Hopefully the Warden Commander got the message, and hopefully she would come.

Hawke had never met Warden Commander Surana, but he had heard the legends of the angry little elf who saved the whole nation.

Hawke waited, and waited. Anders stood silently. Although he showed little expression, Hawke could tell he was doubtful this would work. One thing Hawke never wanted to have enough experience to find out was that the tranquil were not entirely blank. They made logical deductions, they had opinions. Right now Anders’ opinion was clearly that Hawke was an idiot, but Hawke could live with that.

“Anders?” A woman’s voice cut through the silence, and Hawke turned to see a cloaked figure with a staff strapped to her back walking through the trees.

“Warden-“ Hawke began, but didn’t get the chance to finish before the woman let out an audible gasp and swung her staff around, pointing it at Hawke.

“Nate!” She screamed, “it’s a trap!”

An arrow flew directly into Hawke’s shoulder, and he yelled as he fell back into a tree. Vines erupted from the ground and twisted around Hawke’s legs, dragging him to his knees.

The elf loomed over him, her thunderous expression visible under her hood.

“How many more of you are there?” She asked.

“I’m not here to hurt you-“

“You-“ she began, then stopped as her voice cracked.

“Holy Maker!” A man with dark hair exclaimed as he stepped out from behind the trees.

“You,” Warden Commander Surana continued, “used my friend as bait to get me here! Start talking right now!”

Tears were welling up in her furious eyes.

“I did no such thing! I need your help!”

Surana looked at him incredulously, then raised her staff again. Hawke braced himself, but was spared by the man’s voice that Hawke now realized he had heard before.

“Wait, Commander! That’s the Champion of Kirkwall.”

“What?” The woman asked, her voice low.

“I met him in Kirkwall. He is Anders’ lover.”

“Yes,” Anders himself added, “please do not kill him.”

Surana’s eyes snapped over to Anders. Her brow pinched together for a moment, but she shook herself out of it and looked back towards Hawke. The way she spoke was all too familiar to Hawke now, because she was trying not to cry.

“Then why is he tranquil?” The woman managed to say, low and dangerous.

Hawke knew the answer to this one. It was easy, really.

“Because I failed.”

No one said anything for a few moments. Leaves rustled around them in the breeze, the fading sun broke through the tree canopy. The vines binding Hawke released, and Surana stepped forward.

Without a word, she yanked the arrow out of Hawke’s shoulder and followed it up with a wave of healing magic. It prickled and stung, nowhere near as smooth as Anders’ work.

“You move too fast,” Anders told her. “You are still impatient.”

Surana laughed, and then sobbed. She sank to her knees and pressed her head into her hands.

“You’re such a nag…” she muttered. “Even now, you’re still… oh Maker…”

“Anders…” came the man’s voice. If Hawke remembered correctly, his name was Nathaniel. “What happened to you?” He too looked stricken, his eyes wide and his face pale.

“I was made tranquil,” Anders said simply.

“I can bloody see that!” Nathaniel snapped, then took a deep breath. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I mean… who did this?”

“Templars,” Anders told him. “I do not believe they were officially sanctioned by the Chantry, but they were aware of the previous orders to bring me to justice for what I did. They felt this was a better solution than killing me, as they believed I could tell them about the mage rebellion.”

Hawke hated hearing one of the worst days of his life recounted with such dispassion, such disregard for the enormity of what happened. And to hear this from the victim himself…

“What-“ Surana asked before her voice broke again. “What did you need help with?”

“I’m looking for a cure for tranquility.”

Surana gave him an incredulous look. “What makes you think I’ll have it?”

Hawke’s heart sank. This was another dead end.

After letting out a long breath, Hawke answered. “Because I’m desperate, and Varric said you Wardens knew secrets no one else did.”

“Who’s Varric?” Surana asked.

“Member of the inquisition. Knows Leliana.”

“Oh. So she told him how to contact me?”

“Yeah.” Hawke’s throat felt dry, his heart felt dead. He had known this was a long shot. He had known that. But it still fucking hurt, like it hurt every time. Like it hurt every time he had to look to his lover and see a dead shell of a man. Like it hurt every single day.

A tear slid down Hawke’s cheek, but Surana didn’t say anything about it. She was crying silently too.

“There’s a Warden warehouse in Amaranthine that we’re hiding out in,” said Surana. “You two are welcome to stay as long as you need. I’m… I’m sorry I can’t help any more than that.”

And she did look sorry. Surana looked bloody miserable, on top of looking like the wind had been knocked out of her. Hawke had looked like that, in the beginning. When he had still been processing that his love was taken away.

“You were his friend, right?” Hawke asked.

Surana nodded. “I had been… fuck. I had been so happy to hear from Nate that he was alive. I had… I’d wanted to see him again.”

Surana scrunched her face up in frustration. “I’m sorry I’m being like this. I have no right to be, not next to his lover. I can’t even imagine-“

Surana couldn’t finish her sentence, and just curled her knees to her chest and hid her face in her arms.

“It’s alright,” Hawke told her. “I know you two were close. He didn’t speak often of his time with the Wardens, but he spoke fondly of you.”

Hawke remembered enjoying the times Anders did open up and tell stories. It was often in the Hanged Man, because Varric had a knack for getting stories out of people. Everyone would listen with rapt attention as Anders spoke of his time working under the Hero of Ferelden, of how she was just like the legends said but at the same time so different. How she was angry and passionate and how she saved him from the Templars’ sword.

“Thank you, by the way.” Hawke told Surana. He had remembered wanting to tell her that, if they ever met.

“For?” Surana looked up from her arms, confused.

“For saving him. He told me it’s thanks to you he’s alive. If you hadn’t stepped in, he would have been dead before I could even meet him.”

Hawke remembered having that realization long ago in Kirkwall. He had been in bed, Anders curled safely against his chest and sleeping soundly. So many things had almost taken Anders from Hawke before Hawke would have even known what he’d lost. Hawke had held on tighter then, and thanked the Maker for his fortune. He barely believed in the Maker anymore, but… but if there was someone out there to thank, then they deserved it.

Hawke didn’t deserve any fucking thanks, though. He had barely gotten Anders out of Kirkwall alive, and then failed him in every way possible. He failed to protect him from tranquility, and now every day he failed to free him from it.

“He saved me a lot too,” Surana replied, smiling sadly as teartracks caught the fading light. “He saved Amaranthine, you know. I was going to abandon it, I thought it was a lost cause. But… but he argued. He argued and he reminded me that we had to try, no matter how hopeless. I had become a bit jaded, by then… so thank the Maker for him. All of Amaranthine owes him their lives.”

“A lot of people owe him their lives,” Hawke said. “More than he killed. Everybody forgets that, they forget how many he healed.”

It was unfair that Anders would be remembered as a murderer and not a healer. If Hawke had any influence at all anymore, he would be remembered as a hero.

“Let’s head to the warehouse you mentioned,” came Anders’ voice. “It’s getting dark.”

Nathaniel nodded grimly. He wasn’t crying, but the man looked harrowed.

The group silently walked back to the city, and Surana led them to an old building full of crates and weapons. In one corner there were two bedrolls, presumably belonging to the Wardens.

“Why are you in hiding, anyway?” Hawke asked. “The inquisition was desperate to find you.”

“Same reason you’re hiding,” Surana answered, “because it’s the fucking Inquisition. I don’t trust that Chantry bullshit.”

“But… isn’t your…”

“…Lover with the Inquisition?” Surana finished. “Yeah. It’s complicated. It’s where her life took her, and she wants to reform the Chantry. If there’s anything left to reform at this point, what with the Divine dying and all.”

Surana was about to say something else, then stopped. She looked down at the floor and let out a sigh. From the light of her staff Hawke saw a faded red stain on the floorboards.”

“Fucking figures we’d end up here.”

Hawke waited for her to elaborate. Nathaniel offered to clear some space for Hawke and Anders.

“This place used to be owned by the Chantry,” said Surana. “Back when I first recruited Anders, the Templars set up an ambush here. Tricked us into thinking Anders’ phylactery was here… so I came to help him destroy it.”

Surana spoke calmly, but there was clearly emotion boiling beneath the surface.

“When the Templars attacked, we killed them. After that was done, I freaked out. I… I talked a big game back then, but like every mage I’m just afraid. I had never struck back at the Templars, I felt like the world was ending and the Chantry was going to somehow find out and somehow take me back.”

Surana looked over at where Anders stood, gave him a sad smile. “But my recruits were there to save me, this time. Nate and Valenna got rid of the bodies, and Anders sat with me until I could finally calm down. It was the first time…” Surana’s voice grew thick, she grimaced as more tears came.

“It was the first time someone really got it. He understood what it was like growing up at Kinloch Hold, he understood the fear. So he just talked to me until I felt like I could breathe. He told me it would be okay…”

Surana looked at Anders, then away again. “He was there for me, but I wasn’t there for him. The Wardens called me away, and I thought I left Amaranthine better than I found it. But then the new Warden Commander came and ruined everything. He’s gone now, but… but he did his damage first. He let the bloody Templars in.”

Surana looked angry, but the kind of tired anger where all you could really feel was resignation. Hawke was familiar, too familiar with that.

“I know you think you failed,” Surana told Hawke, “but I failed him first.”

Hawke was about to reply, when Anders spoke up.

“You didn’t fail me, Commander Surana. It wasn’t your fault. Even my former self never blamed you for what happened.”

The woman looked stricken, stared at Anders for a moment. Nathaniel’s stance also changed, he looked more tense.

“You called me Surana…”

“It’s what I’m supposed to call you.”

Surana laughed, wet and miserable. “But you never fucking did… you always called me Regan, even in front of the nobles…”

“That was quite foolish of me,” Anders remarked.

“No, it was you of you. You couldn’t respect niceties and customs… and I respected that about you. Sorry, I respect that about you. I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t talk like you're not here.”

“Your friend is gone, Commander Surana,” was Anders’ calm reply. “It is reasonable to feel grief.”

Surana inhaled sharply, then took two strides forward and hugged Anders. He stood there passively while she cried.

“I’m so sorry…” was all Hawke heard of her muffled voice.

Something warm bloomed in Hawke’s chest for the rest of the night, as he and the two Wardens continued to talk. He had never thought about it before, but these were the first people he could talk to about Anders. They were the first people Hawke could grieve with. And they did grieve. Surana grieved openly, and Nathaniel silently.

It touched Hawke’s dead heart to see other people who knew how much good Anders brought to this terrible world.

They swapped stories of Anders the whole night, laughing and crying in equal measure. It didn’t feel pleasurable per se… but it was a release.

[pufflyhallows]

Butterbeer

Gif not mine

Pairing: Oliver Wood x reader

Summary: Oliver is feeling down with the result of the last game, so the Hogsmeade trip doesn’t seem too exciting until his friend takes him to an interesting shop.

a/n: I realized I had never written anything with a Hufflepuff reader, which is absurd! XD

Warnings: language

Word count: 2,412

********

Oliver was not happy. 

Harry Potter had been unconscious in the hospital wing for the recent Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match, in which Gryffindor suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.

Of course Oliver worried about his friend’s health and he was glad that Harry was perfectly fine now, but the weight of the defeat upon his shoulders was too much. He was the captain, after all. He knew he was the first one to blame and he knew everyone in Hogwarts was talking about it, especially the Slytherins.

For that reason, he wasn’t too excited about the last Hogsmeade trip of the year, unlike his friends, who couldn’t stop talking about it in the common room as they got ready to go out.

“I’m gonna buy as many boxes of Chocolate Frogs as possible,” Noah said as he counted his money, “I don’t wanna wait the entire summer to eat those again.”

“Sometimes I forget you’re a muggleborn,” Riley thought out loud.

“I can send you more if you run out,” Leo patted Noah on the shoulder.

“Thanks, mate.”

“Can we go now?” Oliver asked impatiently.

Noah and Leo looked at each other finding strange their friend’s behavior, but Riley understood very well why Oliver wasn’t quite happy that day.

“Yes, we can,” she replied, standing up and motioning for the boys to go with her. And they did.

Hogsmeade looked just the same as it did on their previous visit. Nothing had really changed, except maybe for the weather. It was slightly hotter now.

“There he goes,” Leo pointed discretely at Percy, who had just entered Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop with his girlfriend Penelope.

Noah smirked, shaking his head. “That’s why he was in such a hurry.”

“Let the boy live,” Riley chuckled, “Where do you guys wanna go first?”

“Honeydukes! I need my Chocolate Frogs,” Noah patted on his pocket, where his money was.

Riley thought Oliver would protest, but the boy didn’t seem to be on the same planet as them. She knew where his mind was and she felt bad for him, hoping the crowded shop would cheer him up somehow.

But it didn’t.

“Where do we go now?” Noah asked with a full mouth as the four friends left Honeydukes.

“Zonko’s?” Leo proposed.

“Sure.”

“Oh, I actually want to go to Tomes and Scrolls,” Riley said, pointing at the bookstore across the street.

“I can go with you,” Oliver offered, finally saying something since they got there and making Riley a little bit more optimistic.

“He can go with you,” Leo repeated, “Noah and I will meet you there later. It might take a while, though.”

“It’s okay. See you later then,” the girl waved and the two boys left towards the joke shop, leaving her alone with Oliver. “Let’s go?”

He nodded, following her to the store he had never paid attention to before. 

As they got in, Oliver realized it was way bigger than what it looked like from outside. The shop was completely filled with books of all kinds, shapes and colors. Of course his eyes landed on Quidditch Through The Ages, exposed on a shelf by the door. He inevitably sighed, looking away from it and going further into the store. He did not need a reminder of his failure at that moment.

Riley wasn’t searching for anything specific, she said. She liked to just go there and walk around until something caught her attention, so Oliver decided to do the same. 

They parted ways, each of them heading to a different side of the store, and the boy started reading the books’ titles as he walked through the tall shelves, hoping something interesting would come into sight.

He could understand why he had never paid attention to that store before or why it wasn’t as full as Honeydukes. Unfortunately, despite having a nice variety of books, that shop looked abandoned and slightly dirty. But he could also understand why Riley liked it so much. It strangely felt like home.

A bell rang from the entrance, announcing that someone had just come in. Oliver looked at the door curiously, feeling instantly glad he had done so. Standing by the first shelves, two girls talked to each other quietly as one of them pointed at a book with a yellow cover. Oliver’s eyes could not drift away from the girl on the left, wearing a navy blue coat and nodding at whatever her friend was saying about the yellow book. Her beauty illuminated the dusty, sad environment, bringing back the life Oliver knew it once had. 

He gulped, his heart growing a warm feeling. The girl was holding a small package in her hands, which he could bet was a chocolate bar from Honeydukes, and he suddenly felt the urge to know what she liked to do in her free time, what was her favorite Quidditch team (if she even liked the sport at all), favorite book genre, favorite drink, her favorite song, her name... Who was that girl?

When the two new visitors started walking further into the shop, consequently closer to where he was, Oliver grabbed the first book he saw and opened it at a random page, pretending to be highly interested in the words written there.

The navy blue coat girl waved at someone behind him, a shy smile on her face that made Oliver’s cheeks heat up. He turned around slowly and a mixture of euphoria with total shock took over him as he saw Riley waving back. 

He did not waste a second before walking up to her. 

“Who is that girl?” he asked urgently, not caring if he sounded too demanding.

“She’s a Hufflepuff, a year below us. Why?” Riley frowned at her friend’s urgency.

“How do you know her?”

“She helped me in the bathroom once if you know what I mean. Kindest person I’ve ever met, to be honest.”

“What’s her name?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s Y/N.”

“You’re not sure?!”

“It was a long time ago, Oliver. Why are you asking me all these questions?” she raised an eyebrow at him.

“How have I never seen her before?” 

“I don’t know,” Riley shrugged, “But you didn’t answer me.”

“She’s...” Oliver looked at the other side of the store, where Y/N was. “She’s so beautiful.”

“Ohh...” Riley smirked, “I see.”

Oliver kept staring at the girl with a dreamy look on his face, making Riley laugh. That was completely adorable. And new! She had never seen him like that before.

“Let’s go talk to her,” she proposed.

“What?!” he looked at his friend, “No way.”

“Why not?!”

“What am I going to say?”

“’Hi, my name is Oliver, nice to meet you?’” 

“Then what?”

“I’ll help you, c’mon.”

“Riley...”

“Come on.”

Riley pulled her friend gently by the arm towards the two girls on the other side of the store. Oliver felt his heart race increase instantly and his stomach get cold. He hoped his face wasn’t red, but it probably was.

“Hey, Y/N,” Riley risked, praying she had gotten the name right. The navy blue coat girl turned around and smiled.

“Hey, Riley! It’s been a while, how are you?”

“I’m good! I’ve heard about your dad’s promotion on the Ministry. Congrats!”

“Thank you! We’re really happy,” Y/N blushed slightly. “Oh, this is my friend Jade.”

The other girl held out her hand with a polite smile, “Nice to meet you, Riley.”

“Nice to meet you too, Jade,” Riley shook her hand, “This is Oliver.” 

“Hi,” he said, shaking Jade’s hand as well.

“Oh, we know Oliver,” Y/N said, making his heart stop completely as he and Riley shared a surprised look. “You’re the Gryffindor captain, right? We watched the game last week.”

Oh no. Riley bit her lower lip nervously.

“Yes, I am,” he nodded, “And I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“Well, you guys made history,” Jade said. 

“Jade,” Y/N elbowed her friend discretely.

“It’s okay,” Oliver reassured Y/N, “She’s right, we did.”

“Miss Allen?” the owner of the shop called from behind the counter. 

“That’s me,” Jade explained, “Excuse me.”

As the girl left towards the man who had called her, Riley saw the opportunity to give Oliver a little push. 

“Oh, I didn’t know Mr. Bennett was here today. I’ll be right back.”

And she headed to the counter as well, leaving Oliver completely alone with Y/N.

“So...” he said, clearing his throat, “You come here often?”

Fucking hell, man. She was probably going to think that was a pick-up line.

...would it be so bad, though?

“I do, actually,” she held the small package against her chest and looked around, “This is my favorite shop in Hogsmeade. It might sound strange, but-”

“It feels like home.”

She looked at him, slightly stunned.

“Exactly,” the girl nodded.

“I get it, even though this is my first time here. It’s a pity I took this long to notice it.”

“Well, it does have a discrete facade,” she smiled kindly at the thought of Mr. Bennett decorating it.

“Yeah,” was all Oliver managed to say. He felt completely lost in her smile and didn’t seem to be able to form any more words.

Y/N noticed the small pause, but the cause of it was unknown to her. 

“So, how’s Harry Potter?” she asked to break the silence, “Is he still in the hospital wing?”

“Um... Yes. But he’s okay now, he’s awake. He’ll stay there for just a few more days.”

“I’m glad to hear that. The news scared us all, but I can only imagine what it was like for you and all of his friends. It’s very understandable what happened on the match. You guys were probably still shaken with his situation.”

“Y-Yes. We were,” Oliver agreed, surprised to find sympathy after a week of disapproval. “He was still unconscious when we played.”

“And yet, you guys gave your best. That’s admirable.”

“Thank you. Not many people seem to take that into account.”

“Well, I can’t speak for the entire school, but I can assure you that the Hufflepuffs do. Cedric even had a speech about it,” she chuckled, “Some boys were being... you know.”

“Thank you. Really,” Oliver sighed, feeling like a giant burden had been lifted from his shoulders. It was very good to know that not everyone blamed him. “You have no idea of how much I needed to hear this.”

“I do,” she put a hand on his upper arm and squeezed it gently, “But it’ll be alright. You’ll see.”

If he hadn’t been able to speak when she smiled, he wasn’t able to even breathe now that she had touched him. The feeling of it was so surreal, he couldn’t believe she existed.

“Oh, and Cedric has said countless times that the Gryffindor team is the second best in Hogwarts,” Y/N added, “After Hufflepuff, of course.”

“Of course,” Oliver chuckled, being followed by Y/N. Usually, he would disagree, but this time he let it pass. The sound of her laugh was too sweet to be interrupted.

“What I mean is that this last game won’t change the fact that you guys are really talented,” she explained, “Don’t listen to the Slytherins, you know that’s an old house rivalry.”

“Yeah...” he looked down, “I know.” 

“Can you believe they had a delay and it’s going to take another week?” Jade complained as she approached her friend.

“Oh no. And how are you going to pick it up?” Y/N asked.

“Mr. Bennett wanted to send it to me for free, but I said no. I’ll pay for the delivery, it’s not his fault,” Jade sighed, “But I wanted it now! That was the whole point of ordering it here, instead of buying it at Flourish and Blotts.”

“Yeah, that’s a shame.”

“So, let’s go?” 

“Sure,” Y/N nodded, “It was nice meeting you, Oliver. See you around?”

“Um... Actually, are you busy right now?” the boy inevitably held his breath as he took his shot.

“I’m afraid so...” Y/N looked hesitantly at Jade, who seemed like she was trying to hide a smirk. “We had planned to go to The Magic Neep now and then to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.”

“I can go to Scrivenshaft’s by myself, Y/N,” Jade tilted her head slightly, “You’ll be totally free after The Magic Neep.”

Oliver didn’t say anything as he waited for the two friends to come to an agreement. Y/N took a while before replying. 

“You’re right,” and she turned to face Oliver, “I’ll be free after I visit the greengrocer down the street. Why?”

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “I was thinking that maybe we could go to The Three Broomsticks to have a butterbeer and... talk. What do you think?”

Y/N gave her friend a glance, but the girl smiled encouragingly. Oliver couldn’t help but notice the light pink color that Y/N’s cheeks had suddenly acquired.

“That sounds nice,” she answered shyly, “I’d love to.”

“Great! So, see you in...?”

“Half an hour.”

“I’ll be there,” the boy smiled.

“Now, we should get going,” Jade said, “See you around, Oliver.”

“Bye,” Y/N waved at him and followed her friend outside the bookstore.

“Bye,” he whispered as he watched them leave. 

He could not describe what he was feeling at that moment. How could a girl turn a boring day into the best one he had had in a week?

“So?!” 

He jumped on the spot with the sudden voice behind him. He turned around to meet the eyes of a very excited and curious Riley.

“How was it?!”

“I have a date,” he smiled.

********

[emybain]

Love Conquers Hate

I have come to the conclusion that I can only write fluff. also, yes ive been wanting to write the parade from nova’s pov since reading the epilogue (despite how much I love magpie). no shame. 

SUPERNOVA SPOILERS 

SUPERNOVA SPOILERS

SUPERNOVA SPOILERS

    The sunlight warmed Nova’s face as she laid back on the star float, legs hovering over the edge. She had been sitting, waiting for Adrian as he left to find them something to eat or drink. Oscar had accompanied him, and they had been gone for twenty minutes so far. As each minute grew longer, her patience grew shorter, so Nova resulted to a few minutes of sunbathing. Beside her, Ruby was chatting with Danna and Narcissa, who were going to be on the float as well. Ahead of them, probably two or three floats, Nova could hear a marching band warming up as well as the whooshing and whipping sounds of the color guard's flags. 

    They had been called to the parade set up three hours ago so that everyone could be accounted for and put in order. Before, Nova had been curious as to why they needed three hours to set up for an hour and a half parade, but after witnessing the amount of stress the organizers and performers went through beforehand, she now had a deeper respect for parades. 

    Now they were waiting for the parade to begin, awkwardly standing around on a random residential street. Someone had mentioned a while ago that they still had thirty minutes, and that was when Adrian and Oscar left for food. 

    An elbow nudged Nova’s side gently. She opened one eye, raising her eyebrow at Ruby, who pulled her up. “There’s someone here to see you,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. She gestured in front of them. 

    Nova ran a hand through her hair, blinking at the young mom and the little girl behind her legs who was no more than five or six. She shared a knowing look with Ruby before hopping down from the float and kneeling to peek around the mom’s legs at the girl. 

    “Hey there.” Nova smiled sweetly. “What’s your name?” 

    “Go on, Camden.” Her mother stepped to the side and pushed her daughter forward encouragingly when she didn’t immediately answer. “It’s okay.”

    Camden peeked up at Nova, and for that brief moment, Nova saw the awe in her eyes. Then she tore her gaze away, cheeks red. “My name’s Camden,” she said in a tiny voice. “I...I was wondering...can I have your autograph?”

    Nova opened her mouth, gasping dramatically. She clasped her hands together. “Of course!” She rummaged for a marker in her pockets, knowing she put one in there specifically for today. Already, multiple people, not just children, had come up to her and her friends asking for autographs. “Where do you want it?”

    Camden’s shy exterior began to drop just a little as she handed over a superhero cape. Nova asked her what her superpower was as she wrote out a short message. She learned that Camden had perfect balance, which pushed her into doing gymnastics. 

    Nova handed back the cape, freshly signed. Camden grinned down at it with sparkling eyes. Then she looked back up at Nova. 

    “Miss Artino,” she began, “how do you be brave? See, I want to be just like you when I grow up, but I’m always afraid.”

    Nova tilted her head to the side, not all that surprised at the child’s honest question, as most children were honest, but surprised at the subject. She thought about it for a moment. Behind her, the three other girls stopped talking, and she could feel their gazes on the back of her head. “Well, Camden, bravery and fear go hand in hand. It’s impossible to be brave if you aren’t at least a little scared.”

    Camden’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward. “Really? Does that mean you get scared?”

    Nova nodded solemnly. “All the time, but I’m still brave.” She paused. “Some of the bravest people in the world are scared of many things, did you know that?”

    She shook her head quickly, and Nova pressed on. “It’s true. Because those people are afraid to lose what they love, so they choose to be brave to protect those things. Do you understand that?” 

    Camden swayed from side to side, contemplating, before smiling a toothy grin and nodding. “Thank you, Miss Artino. I think I get it now.” 

    Nova matched her smile and stretched her arms out, offering a hug that the child accepted. The mother thanked Nova, and then they were gone, back to the small neighborhood crowd watching the parade from their homes. 

    Meeting kids like Camden was nothing new for Nova these days; they always stopped her on the streets asking for photos or autographs or screaming how much they loved her. At first, Nova was weirded out and not sure how to even approach children. While it still made her uncomfortable to think that people idolized her for the very same reasons Nova used to despise the Renegades, she had become a pro at talking to children, and found a tiny bit of joy in brightening their day. 

    “Water?” Nova turned to find a water bottle pushed in her face, the owner of the voice belonging to her boyfriend. She smiled up at him and accepted the water. Oscar showed up beside him and they passed out water to everyone. 

    “You were gone that long and water was all you could find?” She hopped back up on the black parade float, designed to be like a night sky with a thousand shining stars. It was Adrian’s idea, as well as his creation. 

    “Tell me about it,” Oscar groaned. Ruby scooched over and he sat beside her, arm snaking around her waist. The movement was almost natural, and Nova couldn’t help but think back to a year ago when Oscar could barely hold it together if Ruby so much as brushed hands with him. “Not a food truck in sight. They must all be in the big ticket areas.”

    “We’ll get nachos after the parade,” Ruby assured him, patting his thigh. “Any word on how much longer until we start? Mom said Jade and Sterling are growing restless.”

    “At least they have food,” Oscar grumbled. 

    Adrian took a seat beside Nova, and they laced their fingers together immediately. “It’ll probably be another five or so minutes.”

    Narcissa rested her head on Danna’s shoulder, who pressed a kiss to her hair. “I should have brought a book. It’s been three hours!” She sighed dramatically. “This parade is great and all, don’t get me wrong, but it should not be this long.” 

    Nova agreed, although she kept her mouth shut. It was ironic, really, when she thought of where she was a year ago. Who she was a year ago. She had been so filled with hatred and loneliness, craving a revenge that was aimed at the wrong people. So much time and energy and so many resources poured into one goal that ate away at Nova’s humanity for ten years, preventing her from seeing the truth. And now, she recognized that revenge was an illness; it weakens someone and plagues them of any real happiness, convincing them that it is the cure when in fact it is the parasite. Now, she knew that, and was grateful that she was rescued from it’s cage before it was too late. Now, she was here, with the people she loved doing the last thing on the planet she would have ever thought she would do. A year ago, she was at the parade, yes, but with a completely different motive. 

    One of the parade organizers, a middle aged man whose name Nova didn’t bother to remember, came by and told them to get to their positions. Nova took a quick sip of her water and accepted the hand that Adrian offered. Together, they got on the topmost point of the large star in the center of the float. Ruby and Oscar went to a point to their right, and Danna and Narcissa to their left. After a moment, the float lurched forward and began its slow trek down the street. The neighborhood watchers began clapping and cheering, the children jumping up and down and waving at the group of six people on the star. 

    Nova waved back, putting on what she referred to as her “camera smile”, the one she reserved for the media and for events like this. 

    The parade route was supposed to take them along the most known streets of Gatlon and end at Headquarters, something that would take between an hour and an hour and a half to complete. Like every year, it would be televised around the world, and similar celebrations would take place. However, what made this year different was that everyone was now a prodigy. Because of this, it seemed almost silly to solely celebrate the Renegades and their success. No, the Renegades had learned from examples like Nova and the Anarchists and the Rejects that one’s abilities didn’t determine how heroic they were. So, on the Day of Triumph, the Renegades parade was now meant to celebrate all prodigies of all shapes and sizes and abilities. Nova felt as though it was a small victory in the direction of a future she desired, a future where everyone could be equal. It brought tears to her eyes when she was told that the villain floats were being tossed, as well as the Council’s float. In their places would be floats honoring the gifts of prodigies and honoring the warriors lost in the fight for freedom and equality. It moved her to see a float for Honey, despite what the woman had done to Nova prior to her death. It made her grin to see a float for Callum Treadwell, a prodigy who quite possibly had the greatest gift of all, yet was never on a task force like other Renegades. Nova could only fathom what he would think if he were here today. 

    “Are you okay?”

    Nova glanced beside her at Adrian, who was still smiling and waving at the cheering crowds. But she noticed the concern in his eyes. 

    “Yeah.” She wiped at her eyes, which had gotten a little misty, and reached for his hand. He clutched her tightly, a promise. “Just a little overwhelmed is all.” 

    The float turned a corner, and the roaring of the crowd somehow went up two dynamics. They were on what many of the organizers referred to as “TV Street”, where most of the excitement took place for the celebration, as well as where every news station would be covering the parade. It was the street with the best seats for the parade, and the most media. It was also the street where…

    Nova nudged Adrian lightly, making him look down at her curiously. “This is where we met.” She nodded to a familiar spot in front of a vendor selling merchandise. “Right there.” 

    Adrian’s smile grew genuine, and he pulled her closer. “I love you, Nova Artino.”

    “And I you, Adrian Everhart. Every day, I will love you.” Sweet rot, she was letting Danna and Ruby suck her into their shared love of rom-coms and romance movies. She didn’t much care, though. Her heart was full, the fullest it had ever been. 

    When she tilted her head up to kiss Adrian, the crowd went wild. Nova tuned them out, her attention fully on the boy standing beside her. She savored this moment, the way he tasted of the donuts Oscar brought earlier that morning, the feeling of a hand in her hair and another clutching her hip. Too soon did he pull back, but Nova knew from the secretive glint in his eyes that there would be many, many more kisses later in the day when they were alone and away from the eyes of the media. She couldn’t wait. 

    But for now, she let herself be wrapped up in his arms as they both waved to the many cameras pointed at them and smiled at the crowd. A sign held by a kid caught Nova’s eye; when the child saw Nova watching him, he grinned and raised the sign higher, shouting something Nova couldn’t hear. But the sign was enough explanation: Love Conquers Hate.

    She couldn’t agree more.